The word "僵尸粉" is formed by combining the term "僵尸" (jiāngshī), meaning "zombie", with the character "粉" (fěn), which is a shortened form of "粉丝" (fěnsī), meaning "fans". The compound directly uses "僵尸" as a metaphor for the inert, artificial nature of these accounts, resulting in a term that denotes fake or inactive followers on social media.