The compound "zombie-like" is a modern English formation that combines a loanword with a native suffix to create a descriptive adjective. The first element, "zombie," entered English via Haitian Creole folklore, tracing its ultimate origin to West African spiritual concepts concerning reanimated beings. The second element, "-like," is a productive suffix from Old English, originally meaning "having the body or form of." When combined, the term literally means "having the form or characteristics of a zombie," evolving from a literal comparison to a fictional undead creature to a common metaphor for a state of extreme fatigue, apathy, or mindless automatism.

Structure: zombie + like zombie: Likely of West African origin (Kikongo nzambi, "god" or "spirit of a dead person"); a noun referring to a reanimated corpse or a person who seems lifeless. like: From Old English līc, "body, form"; an adjective-forming suffix meaning "having the characteristics of" or "similar to".