IMITATE Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'imitate' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of imitate are ape , copy , mimic , and mock . While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation. // imitate a poet's style

Q: When is 'ape' a more appropriate choice than 'imitate'?

The words ape and imitate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original. // American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

Q: Where would 'copy' be a reasonable alternative to 'imitate'?

The synonyms copy and imitate are sometimes interchangeable, but copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible. // copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

Q: When is it sensible to use 'mimic' instead of 'imitate'?

The words mimic and imitate can be used in similar contexts, but mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation. // pupils mimicking their teacher

Q: When could 'mock' be used to replace 'imitate'?

The meanings of mock and imitate largely overlap; however, mock usually implies imitation with derision. // mocking a vain man's pompous manner

imitate

verb

ˈi-mə-ˌtāt

Definition of imitate

as in to emulate

to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior teenage musicians who imitate whichever rock stars are hot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to parody

to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of imitating someone's stutter and laughing at them is a cruel thing to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to reproduce

to make an exact likeness of a second-rate artist who was notorious for imitating the works of other painters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word imitate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of imitate are ape, copy, mimic, and mock. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

When is ape a more appropriate choice than imitate?

The words ape and imitate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

Where would copy be a reasonable alternative to imitate?

The synonyms copy and imitate are sometimes interchangeable, but copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

When is it sensible to use mimic instead of imitate?

The words mimic and imitate can be used in similar contexts, but mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

When could mock be used to replace imitate?

The meanings of mock and imitate largely overlap; however, mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of imitate Constantin Brâncuși’s marble-and-limestone sculpture L’oiseau (1923/1947), for example, commands the space, while Wolfgang Tillmans’s 2022 photograph tree filling window imitates an open window in a closed space. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Speaking of the oversized, the collection’s Handloom Cardigan fits the bill but spares you from imitating a balloon, courtesy of those vertical stripes (also known as the oldest optical trick in the fashion book). — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 Her makeup could not be prettier or more ideal for imitating, with its barely-there shimmer shadow, the softest possible wing, and gloss in what appears to be her natural lip color. — Marci Robin, Allure, 27 Sep. 2026 In a case of life imitating art, the real-life age gap between actors Reinhart and Bateman is pretty close to that of Olive and Adam. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imitate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for imitate

Verb

Introduced by American occupation forces after World War II, jeans found a market among young Japanese eager to emulate Hollywood stars.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Billboard chatted with October’s Hip-Hop Up & Comer, Noodah 05, about the origins of his name, why old-school R&B always has him in a chokehold, his desire to emulate André 3000, and his aspirations to become the new-age Thanos of rap.

— Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of emulate

Verb

The couple was so famous that they were often parodied by TV comedians for their lavish lifestyle and Tammy Faye’s abundant makeup.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
The couple was so famous that they were often parodied by TV comedians for their lavish lifestyle and Tammy Faye's abundant makeup.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of parody

Verb

Made using flexible materials, the model reproduced important features of the natural stinger’s pumping cycle, helping confirm how the valves deform and squeeze past each other.

— Mike McRae October 12, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
That would reproduce the operating model companies are trying to improve.

— Jason Wojahn, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of reproduce

Verb

Someone else copies them for free and undercuts their pricing before the training run has even paid back.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Over the past few years, a consistent complaint from Western developers and the White House has been that Chinese developers have copied their tech.

— Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of copy

Verb

Critics mocked Zacharia’s performance during her first and last press conference on Tuesday, and ripped her for describing herself as an attorney, despite having never passed the bar exam.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026
The Difference Between Names And Dynamics Richard Feynman recalled being mocked by another child for not knowing a bird’s name.

— Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mock

Verb

Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a robotic arm that replicates aspects of human touch perception.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Others could imitate but never replicate; their coolness was predicated on their originality.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of replicate

Verb

Then the weave pattern is very specifically chosen over the course of a year, basically, to be able to mimic a real facial expression.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
The device, known as a neuristor, mimics certain electrical switching behaviors of biological neurons.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of mimic

Verb

PhotoTat can have additional practical applications, including for medical tattoos like those done on cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
OpenAI has reportedly floated the idea of giving the government up to a 5% stake in the company and suggested other leading AI companies do the same.

— Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of do

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imitable

imitate

imitated

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Style

“Imitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imitate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of imitate

verb

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