mimic

noun

mim·ic | \ ˈmi-mik

Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : mime sense 2 She's a talented mimic.

2 : one that mimics

mimic

adjective

Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : imitative

b : imitation, mock a mimic battle

2 : of or relating to mime or mimicry

mimic

verb

mimicked\ ˈmi-mikt

\; mimicking

Definition of mimic (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to imitate closely : ape He mimicked her accent.

2 : to ridicule by imitation The comic mimicked the president's mannerisms.

3 : simulate vegetable dishes that mimic meat— Carolone Bates

4 : to resemble by biological mimicry a butterfly that mimics a leaf

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about mimic

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for mimic

Verb

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, slavish, 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 mimic in a Sentence

Noun

a gifted mimic who can do a terrific imitation of anyone's voice a mimic in black clothes and white facial makeup

Adjective

police were concerned that the mimic gun, although intended only as a toy, might be confused with the real thing in certain situations a mimic battle fought by kids playing around in the schoolyard

Verb

She has a talent for mimicking famous actresses. The lamp mimics natural sunlight. a butterfly that mimics a leaf

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Casiraghi's dress mimics that design, but with even more delicate details. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Charlotte Casiraghi, Grace Kelly's Granddaughter, Holds a Second Wedding in the South of France," 1 July 2019 The infected imitations, meanwhile, desire a helicopter full of mimics but must include at least one clean team member. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "Who Goes There?: The Thing returns to the tabletop," 18 Aug. 2018 Here, divers can find the rare mimic octopus as well as a vast number of beautiful turtles and colorful fish with wall diving. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "28 Places Our Travel Specialists Say You Should Go in 2019," 17 Dec. 2018 Real-time ray tracing mimics how light behaves in the real world by mapping out rays that originate from 3D illumination sources in a scene. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "RTX on! Battlefield V becomes the first game to support DXR real-time ray tracing," 14 Nov. 2018 Lady Gaga's natural, undone look on the Vogue cover mimics that of her on-screen character in A Star Is Born; and in fact, going makeup-free actually helped her get the role. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Lady Gaga Covers the “Vogue” October Issue Wearing $50 of Drugstore Makeup," 11 Sep. 2018 The metal base mimics rattan but keeps the lamp sure-footed. — Joanna Linberg, Sunset, "10 Stunning Rattan Pieces for Your Home," 22 Jan. 2018 For now his routine roughly mimics that, albeit moved ahead by two days: throwing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and again Friday. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Andrew Luck's head tells his shoulder it's time to throw," 12 June 2018 West's Yeezy Season 2 collection mimics that of the apartment's minimalist walls, geometric lines and barely decorated space. — Hannah Beery, Harper's BAZAAR, "Go Inside the Apartment That Inspired Yeezy Season 2," 3 Nov. 2015

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Among a series of items the company offers that mimic pasta (a ravioli spoon rest; a penne garlic peeler) are the handy Mafaldine elastic silicone bands. — BostonGlobe.com, "The most useful pasta you’ll ever have," 11 June 2019 In some cases, suspected Chinese breaches appear to have resulted in copycat technologies, such as the drones China has produced that mimic U.S. unmanned aircraft. — Washington Post, "China hacked a Navy contractor and secured a trove of highly sensitive data on submarine warfare," 8 June 2018 In some cases, suspected Chinese breaches appear to have resulted in copycat technologies, such as the drones China has produced that mimic U.S. unmanned aircraft. — chicagotribune.com, "China hacked Navy contractor, secured trove of sensitive data on submarine warfare," 8 June 2018 In some cases, suspected Chinese breaches appear to have resulted in copycat technologies, such as the drones China has produced that mimic U.S. unmanned aircraft. — Mark Dent, Anchorage Daily News, "China hacked Navy contractor, secured trove of sensitive data on submarine warfare," 8 June 2018 How could people, wielding tools instead of teeth, mimic nature's most talented builders? — Ben Goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018 Airmen expressed astonishment over the fact that Lindbergh, facing 17 hours of continuous night and day flying, spent 30 minutes engaged in mimic air battle with naval aviators. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "May 11, 1927: Lindbergh winging his way from San Diego to Paris," 11 May 2018 At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare. — Norman Chad, San Antonio Express-News, "Norman Chad: The Olympics ideal doesn’t exist," 19 Feb. 2018 The devices, often referred to by brand names like Stingray and Hailstorm, mimic cell towers, forcing nearby phones to connect to them, thereby allowing everyone within a certain proximity to be tracked. — Orange County Register, "House Oversight Committee tackles spying policies," 20 Jan. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Having headed the United States back in front during a tense game in Lyon, Morgan proceeded to mimic drinking a cup of tea that many assumed was a swipe at England and English culture. — SI.com, "Alex Morgan Reveals Reason for Tea Drinking Celebration & Hits Out at Double Standards in Sport," 5 July 2019 Built in 1929 for legendary Texas oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, this 10-acre estate was designed to mimic founding father George Washington's home, Mount Vernon. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "Hot properties: Dallas area's priciest palaces up for grabs," 5 July 2019 Whomever the Democrats nominate will have to mimic the campaign style of Mr Obama, who owed his wins to a multiracial coalition. — The Economist, "The best line in the first televised debate may hurt the Democrats," 4 July 2019 Unlike in its past life, the interior of the Plunge facility was built to mimic and connect to the outdoors. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Mission Beach Plunge pool reopens after 5 years and $12M in fixes," 3 July 2019 Athena head planter: Mount this piece on any vertical surface and then fill it with trailing or upright foliage plants to mimic hair for an elegant or whimsical look. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Colorful, whimsical or classic, yard art can enhance your garden’s overall appeal," 3 July 2019 But anyone hoping to mimic Trump’s style will be disappointed, at least if the people behind the Trump Store are to be believed. — Justin Rohrlich, Quartz, "There’s been a run on red neckties at the Trump Store," 1 July 2019 When the true bully emerged—one of a pair of twins whose mother, Celeste (Nicole Kidman), received regular brutal beatings at home from her husband Perry and so began to mimic his father’s violent behaviors—Renata had to recant. — Rachel Syme, The New Republic, "Big Little Lies Gets Tough," 28 June 2019 The new iteration, however, is more versatile, designed to mimic meat when grilled, sautéed, braised or stewed. — CNN, "Impossible made fake meat a hot commodity. Now it could be a victim of its own success," 27 June 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about mimic

Dictionary Entries near mimic

Statistics for mimic

Last Updated

11 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for mimic

The first known use of mimic was in 1596

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for mimic

mimic

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person who copies the behavior or speech of other people : a person who mimics other people also : an animal that naturally looks like something else

mimic

verb

English Language Learners Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 2)

: to copy (someone or someone's behavior or speech) especially for humor

: to create the appearance or effect of (something)

: to naturally look like (something)

See the full definition for mimic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mimic

noun

mim·ic | \ ˈmi-mik

Kids Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person or animal that imitates something or someone Parrots can be excellent mimics of human speech.

mimic

verb

mimicked; mimicking

Kids Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to imitate very closely She can mimic her favorite actress.

2 : to make fun of by imitating Stop mimicking everything I say.

mimic

noun

mim·ic | \ ˈmim-ik

Medical Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: one that mimics a mimic of a naturally occurring hormone

mimic

transitive verb

mimicked\ -ikt

\; mimicking

Medical Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 2)

: to imitate or resemble closely: as

a : to imitate the symptoms of an acute inflammatory process located in the ileocecal region mimics acute appendicitis — Merck Manual

b : to produce an effect and especially a physiological effect similar to chemically unrelated to the hormone that it mimics — Chemical & Engineering News