ape

1 of 3

noun

ˈāp 

1

a

: any of various large tailless semi-erect primates of Africa and southeastern Asia (such as the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon)

called also anthropoid, anthropoid ape

compare great ape

b

: monkey

especially : one of the larger tailless or short-tailed Old World forms

—not used technically

2

a

: mimic

b

: a large uncouth person

apelike

ˈāp-ˌlīk 

adjective

ape

2 of 3

verb

aped; aping

transitive verb

: to copy closely but often clumsily and ineptly

aper noun

ape

3 of 3

adjective

1

: wildly excited or enthusiastic

Our family of ten was ape for apricots, passionate about peaches …

—Jerry Nelson

—usually used in the phrase go ape

Kids go ape pointing out the location of the tiny otter on the big stage.

—Dewayne Bevil

The odds of the Phillies winning a World Series increased exponentially and the betting world went ape.

—Tommy Gartrell

2

: showing extreme or uncontrolled anger, aggression, or agitation

—usually used in the phrase go ape

They knew George Steinbrenner would go ape if the Yankees lost the highest-stakes game ever against the Red Sox.

—Randy Miller

Also, don't scream at the top of your lungs or generally go ape. Screaming is for emergencies.

—Jody Stallings

Winged things have spooked me ever since a duck went ape and attacked me at age 4 at the Bronx Zoo.

—Alfred Lubrano

Synonyms

Verb

• imitate
• emulate
• copy
• mimic
• mock
• mime

Choose the Right Synonym for ape

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 ape in a Sentence

Noun

Her boyfriend's some big ape she met at a party.

Verb

She apes the speech and manners of the rich.

was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the modern day, people who have wielded racist tropes against Black people, including the ape comparison, have faced swift social backlash and loss of employment. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Our closest ape relatives, like chimps and bonobos, show a fair amount of violence, as did many groups of hunter-gatherers. —Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025

Verb

Critics accused him of aping Farage’s rhetoric and warned that Labour could lose votes to the left in trying to court the right. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025

Adjective

The same is true of their treatment of Number One, Luther, who is gravely harmed on a doomed solo mission and injected with a life-saving experimental serum that transforms his body into that of an ape-human hybrid. —Crispin Long, The New Yorker, 12 July 2022

Each faces resistance from his own side, since anti-ape prejudice is still part of the formerly dominant species’ worldview. —New York Times, 13 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English apa; akin to Old High German affo ape

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1634, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ape

• anthropoid ape
• ape-man
• Barbary ape
• go ape
• great ape
• man ape

Rhymes for ape

• cape
• crape
• crepe
• drape
• gape
• grape
• pape
• rape
• scape
• scrape
• shape
• snape

Kids Definition

ape

1 of 2 noun

ˈāp 

1

a

: monkey entry 1 sense 1

especially : one of the larger tailless or short-tailed forms

b

: any of two families of large primates including the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and gibbon

2

: mimic entry 3 sense 1

3

: a large uncouth person

ape

2 of 2 verb

aped; aping

: to copy closely but often clumsily

aper noun

Medical Definition

ape

noun

ˈāp 

1

: any of various larger tailless semi-erect primates of Africa and southeastern Asia (such as the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon)

called also anthropoid, anthropoid ape

2

: monkey

especially : one of the larger tailless or short-tailed Old World forms

—not used technically