gorilla

noun

go·​ril·​la gə-ˈri-lə 

1

: a very large typically black-colored anthropoid 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

• thug
• villain
• bandit
• gangster
• assassin
• criminal
• 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

Then sank a flotilla,Then fought a gorilla,And wasn’t ashamed one scintilla! —Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025

Who doesn’t need a dancing gorilla to spark some joy in their life right now? —Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025

The two gorillas were tentatively named Samson and Sambo, and a contest was held to suggest new names for the pair. —Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Photos of a dancing gorilla, a choir of lions, a smoking duck and frog teamwork are in the running for the funniest wildlife image of 2025. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 Oct. 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