monkey

1 of 2

noun

mon·​key ˈməŋ-kē 

plural monkeys

1

: a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers

especially : any of the smaller longer-tailed catarrhine or platyrrhine primates as contrasted with the apes

2

a

: a person resembling a monkey

b

: a ludicrous figure : dupe

3

: any of various machines, implements, or vessels

especially : the falling weight of a pile driver

4

: a desperate desire for or addiction to drugs

—often used in the phrase monkey on one's back

broadly : a persistent or annoying encumbrance or problem

monkey

2 of 2

verb

monkeyed; monkeying

transitive verb

: mimic, mock

intransitive verb

1

: to act in a grotesque or mischievous manner

2

a

: fool, trifle

—often used with around

he likes to monkey around with engines

b

: tamper

—usually used with with

don't monkey with the settings

Synonyms

Noun

• addiction
• dependence
• dependance
• habit
• jones [slang]

Verb

• act up
• clown (around)
• cut up
• fool around
• horse around
• hotdog
• show off
• showboat
• skylark

Examples of monkey in a Sentence

Noun

He's quite a cheeky little monkey, isn't he?

I've got this monkey on my back, and going to detox is the only way to get it off.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That’s because the monkeys were given very high doses of virus by injection, an approach that mirrors what might happen in a laboratory accident but does not reflect real-world transmission. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024

Hundreds of studies on young rats, monkeys, and humans show that young mammals want to play, need to play, and end up socially, cognitively, and emotionally impaired when they are deprived of play. —Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024

Other Oz-worthy touches throughout the night included clips from the film playing before each clue package, as well as flying monkeys, Miss Gulch, and a little dog on hand to give clues on stage. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2024

The rare monkeys, sometimes known as crab-eating macaques, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which requires special permits to be imported into the United States. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024

The park also had a zoo, where people could see bears, lions, monkeys and more. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024

The family lived in military housing in Lopburi, a rural province two hours north of Bangkok whose capital city is world famous for its flourishing monkey population. —Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 21 Mar. 2024

Ubiquitous African wildlife, such as monkeys, elephants, and big cats, never lived here—instead, this jungle-dripping island is home to lemurs, chameleons, and thousands of rare birds, many of which exist nowhere else on Earth. —Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024

He’s known for a wearing a monkey mask in the ring, which doubles as a tribute to Hanuman, the Hindu deity who once led an army of simians against the ancient forced of evil. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024

Verb

The Bears will be prepared for the environment, but getting that Morgantown monkey off their back will take a lot more than imagined. —Michael Haag, Dallas News, 10 Oct. 2022

With supply running low toward the end of most evenings, savvy bun fanatics don’t monkey around, routinely calling ahead to request an extra skillet of rolls set aside just for them. Ettan. —Valerie Demicheva and Flora Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 July 2021

But this experiment isn't about monkeying around—this a real security and safety hazard, the researchers point out in a new paper. —Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 31 Jan. 2020

To make matters more confusing, Apple monkeyed around with the names of the new stuff. —Geoffrey A. Fowler, The Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably of Low German origin; akin to Moneke, name of an ape, probably of Romance origin; akin to Old Spanish mona monkey

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1658, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing monkey

• a monkey on someone's back
• colobus monkey
• cynomolgus monkey
• get the monkey off one's back
• grease monkey
• green monkey
• howler monkey
• make a monkey out of
• monkey about
• monkey about with (something)
• monkey around
• monkey around with (something)
• monkey bars
• monkey business
• monkey jacket
• monkey puzzle
• monkey with
• monkey wrench
• not give a monkey's
• owl monkey
• powder monkey
• proboscis monkey
• rhesus monkey
• sea monkey
• spider monkey
• squirrel monkey
• throw/hurl/toss a monkey wrench into
• woolly monkey
• woolly spider monkey

Kids Definition

monkey

1 of 2 noun

mon·​key ˈməŋ-kē 

plural monkeys

1

: any of a group of primate animals other than human beings that are furry and live in warm regions

especially : ones that are small and long-tailed as compared to the apes

2

: a ridiculous person

: fool

monkeyish

-kē-ish

adjective

monkey

2 of 2 verb

monkeyed; monkeying

1

: to act in a playful or mischievous manner

2

: meddle, tamper

don't monkey with the lawn mower

Medical Definition

monkey

noun

mon·​key ˈməŋ-kē 

: a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers

especially : any of the smaller longer-tailed primates as contrasted with the apes