gorilla

noun

go·​ril·​la gə-ˈri-lə 

1

: a very large typically black-colored great ape (Gorilla gorilla) of equatorial Africa that has a stocky body with broad shoulders and long arms and is less erect and has smaller ears than the chimpanzee

2

a

: an ugly or brutal man

b

: thug, goon

Synonyms of gorilla

• thug
• villain
• bandit
• gangster
• criminal
• assassin
• pirate
• hood

Examples of gorilla in a Sentence

She hired some gorilla as her bodyguard.

the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to “convince” him to pay up

Recent Examples on the Web

Grodd is a member of a highly-intelligent society of gorillas that gained psychic powers and other abilities after coming into contact with an alien spaceship. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025

Grodd, a giant gorilla with extreme intelligence and mental abilities, will be the focus of the first season. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the park's headquarters and see its conservation mission firsthand, and add on gorilla trekking for the perfect Rwanda itinerary. —Elizabeth Gordon, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025

Humans have a much larger neocortex than other animals, relative to body size, and the species with the largest neocortices—elephants, dolphins, gorillas, chimpanzees, dogs—are among the most intelligent. —James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek Gorillai, plural, a tribe of hairy women mentioned in an account of a voyage around Africa

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gorilla

• lowland gorilla
• mountain gorilla
• 800-pound gorilla

Rhymes for gorilla

• axilla
• flotilla
• guerilla
• guerrilla
• manilla
• mantilla
• maxilla
• mesilla
• papilla
• priscilla
• scintilla
• sensilla

Kids Definition

gorilla

noun

go·​ril·​la gə-ˈril-ə 

: a typically black ape of equatorial Africa that is much larger but stands less erect than the related chimpanzee

Etymology

derived from Greek Gorillai, a name used by ancient explorers for what they thought was a tribe of hairy women in Africa