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

Family-Friendly Offerings This is not a family-friendly property as the minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15 years old. —Natalie Preddie, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025

At one point, mortar shells crashed down near a gorilla-research center established by Ellen DeGeneres. —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

This is the first gorilla born at the zoo since 2016, according to News 6. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025

The researchers also found reports of kissing in all great apes, from humans to chimpanzees to orangutans, with the exception of the eastern gorilla. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 19 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