mimic

1 of 3

noun

mim·ic ˈmi-mik

Synonyms of mimic next

: mime sense 2

She's a talented mimic.

: one that mimics

mimic

2 of 3

adjective

: imitative

: imitation, mock

a mimic battle

: of or relating to mime or mimicry

mimic

3 of 3

verb

mimicked ˈmi-mikt

; mimicking

transitive verb

: to imitate closely : ape

He mimicked her accent.

: to ridicule by imitation

The comic mimicked the president's mannerisms.

: simulate

vegetable dishes that mimic meat—

Carolone Bates

: to resemble by biological mimicry

a butterfly that mimics a leaf

Choose the Right Synonym for mimic

copy, imitate, mimic, ape, mock mean to make something so that it resembles an existing thing.

copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

ape may suggest presumptuous, unoriginal, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Examples of mimic in a Sentence

Noun a gifted mimic who can do a terrific imitation of anyone's voice a mimic in black clothes and white facial makeup Adjective police were concerned that the mimic gun, although intended only as a toy, might be confused with the real thing in certain situations a mimic battle fought by kids playing around in the schoolyard Verb The lamp mimics natural sunlight. a butterfly that mimics a leaf

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Todd is a remarkable mimic of Bela Lugosi and brings humanity and soulfulness and depth to it. —

EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024 Large language models are famously good mimics, and campaigns can use them to instantaneously compose messages in a community’s specific vernacular. —

Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mimic

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mimic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Verb

Latin mimicus, from Greek mimikos, from mimos mime

First Known Use

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of mimic was in 1596

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mimic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mimic. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

mimic

1 of 3 noun

mim·ic ˈmim-ik

: mime entry 1 sense 1

: one that mimics

mimic

2 of 3 adjective

: imitative sense 2

: imitation entry 2, mock

mimic

3 of 3 verb

mimicked ˈmim-ikt

; mimicking

: to imitate closely

: to make fun of by imitating

: to resemble by biological mimicry

an insect that mimics a leaf

Medical Definition

mimic

1 of 2 noun

mim·ic ˈmim-ik

: one that mimics

a mimic of a naturally occurring hormone

mimic

2 of 2 transitive verb

mimicked -ikt

; mimicking

: to imitate or resemble closely: as

: to imitate the symptoms of

an acute inflammatory process located in the ileocecal region mimics acute appendicitis—

Merck Manual

: to produce an effect and especially a physiological effect similar to

chemically unrelated to the hormone that it mimics—

Chemical & Engineering News

Last Updated: 13 Apr 2024 - Updated example sentences

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mimic

noun

adjective

verb

Synonyms

Examples of mimic in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near mimic

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition