copycat

noun, often attributive copy·cat \ ˈkä-pē-ˌkat \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of copycat

1 : one who imitates or adopts the behavior or practices of another

2 : an imitative act or product

copycat board games

See copycat defined for English-language learners

See copycat defined for kids

Examples of copycat in a Sentence

She called me a copycat for wearing the same dress.
every rock singer who makes it big soon has a whole cluster of copycats

Recent Examples of copycat from the Web

News organizations that dissect every aspect of the latest mass shooting are rightly reluctant to report on suicide, both for privacy and for fear of sparking copycats.

— nestor ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "Most gun deaths are suicides. A bill now before Mass. Legislature could help prevent them," 8 May 2018
Stocksy Here’s how skincare popularity works: One ingredient gets some buzz, rises to fame, is touted as a miracle among beauty devotees, and then spawns dozens of copycats claiming to be the next best thing.

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "Okay, Do "Gentle" Plant-Based Retinols Really Work?," 3 May 2018
In a genre plagued by cliche and copycats, Sleep remain untouchable.

— jamie ludwig, Chicago Reader, "Hank Pearl of Black Pearl Photo on masked Swedish synth masters Priest," 2 May 2018
As easy-to-copy blockbuster drugs become rarer, moreover, manufacturers of copycats may see their lifeblood threatened.

— The Economist, "Indian drugmakers need a new prescription," 22 Mar. 2018
Jughead muses that maybe the Black Hood isn't back, but the new killer is a copycat emulating the original crimes.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Riverdale Season 2 Episode 19 Brought the Drama," 26 Apr. 2018
That’s a major change for Huawei, which could previously be relied upon to be the fastest iPhone copycat in the East.

— vlad savov, The Verge, "Huawei P20 Pro review: style and substance," 6 Apr. 2018
Driving the latest surge in popularity is Instagram Stories, a copycat of a popular Snapchat feature.

— jessica guynn, USA TODAY, "Bye Facebook, hello Instagram: Users make beeline for Facebook-owned social network," 22 Mar. 2018
Over the years, a number of Givenchy's designs were so similar to Balenciaga's that he was seen by some as a copycat.

— mary rourke, latimes.com, "Hubert de Givenchy dies at 91; courtly designer dressed Audrey Hepburn, built fashion empire," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'copycat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of copycat

1896

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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copycat Synonyms

Synonyms

aper, copyist, echo, follower, imitator, rubber stamp, wannabe (also wannabee);

Related Words

parrot;

ape, emulator, impersonator, impressionist, mimic;

copycat

verb

Definition of copycat

copycatted; copycatting

intransitive verb

: to act as a copycat

transitive verb

: imitate

Examples of copycat in a Sentence

asked her stylist to copycat a hairstyle from the magazine
a performer who slavishly copycats another never rises to the level of true stardom

Recent Examples of copycat from the Web

Wentz’s impact is obvious, and Roseman’s moves influenced the Bears to copycat him with a similarly heavy commitment to the position a year later (bringing in Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez and then Mitch Trubisky).

— albert breer, SI.com, "Cleveland Browns Won’t Be Starting From Scratch in Evaluating the Draft’s Top Quarterbacks," 25 Jan. 2018
Now that the company is public, however, all eyes are on Snap to show huge growth, especially as Facebook’s (fb, +0.23%) competing Instagram service consistently debuts copycat features and tries to steal users.

— jonathan vanian, Fortune, "After Rocky Year, CEO Evan Spiegel Is Still Happy Snap Went Public," 16 Feb. 2018
These individual cases, then, could not be attributed to copycat behavior.

— susan scutti, CNN, "The woman who sweats blood from her palms and her face," 24 Oct. 2017
This copycat approach to investing has led to crushing losses for people tantalized by astronomical gains in the past.

— gail marksjarvis, chicagotribune.com, "Why investors should be wary of bitcoin," 31 Aug. 2017
For now, police vans serve as deterrents to copycat assaults until Barcelona installs protective barriers.

— jeannette neumann, WSJ, "In Barcelona, Crowds March Defiantly for Peace After Terrorist Attacks," 26 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of copycat

1926

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

copycat Synonyms

COPYCAT Defined for English Language Learners

copycat

noun

Definition of copycat for English Language Learners

: a person who does the same thing as someone else : a person who adopts the behavior, style, etc., of someone else
: something that is very similar to another thing