imitate

verb

im·​i·​tate ˈi-mə-ˌtāt 

imitated; imitating

transitive verb

1

: to follow as a pattern, model, or example

2

: mimic, counterfeit

can imitate his father's booming voice

3

: to be or appear like : resemble

4

: to produce a copy of : reproduce

imitator

ˈi-mə-ˌtā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• emulate
• copy
• mimic

Choose the Right Synonym for imitate

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 imitate in a Sentence

Her style has been imitated by many other writers.

He's very good at imitating his father's voice.

She can imitate the calls of many different birds.

Recent Examples on the Web

And beyond device checks, smart verification systems can also monitor behavioral signals—like typing speed, location, or login habits—to spot anomalies that a cloned voice can’t imitate. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 10 July 2025

His celebration imitated him sitting down playing a video game – a tribute to his former Portugal teammate Diogo Jota who died in a car crash last week. —Ben Morse, CNN Money, 10 July 2025

This is not a destination with aspirations of imitating the all-inclusive, tourist-heavy spring break vibes long associated with Cabo. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025

The Road Ahead Many CFI leaders have come to realize that their road to success is more about strengthening their unique features instead of imitating fintech models. —Ashish Garg, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin imitātus, past participle of imitārī "to follow as a pattern, copy," frequentative derivative of a presumed verb *imā- "make a copy," perhaps going back to Indo-European *h₂im-, whence also Hittite hima-, himma- "substitute, replica, toy"

Note: Aside from Hittite, evidence for an etymon *h₂im- is lacking. See also etymology and note at emulous.

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for imitate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

imitate

verb

im·​i·​tate ˈim-ə-ˌtāt 

imitated; imitating

1

: to follow as a pattern, model, or example

2

: to be or appear similar to

3

: to copy exactly

imitator

-ˌtāt-ər 

noun