monkey

noun mon·key \ ˈməŋ-kē \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Definition of monkey

plural monkeys

1 : a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers; especially : any of the smaller longer-tailed catarrhine or platyrrhine primates as contrasted with the apes

2 a : a person resembling a monkey

b : a ludicrous figure : dupe

3 : any of various machines, implements, or vessels; especially : the falling weight of a pile driver

4 : a desperate desire for or addiction to drugs —often used in the phrase monkey on one's back; broadly : a persistent or annoying encumbrance or problem

See monkey defined for English-language learners

See monkey defined for kids

Examples of monkey in a Sentence

He's quite a cheeky little monkey, isn't he?
I've got this monkey on my back, and going to detox is the only way to get it off.

Recent Examples of monkey from the Web

For the first time, researchers have used gene editing tools in adult monkeys to disable a gene throughout much of the liver.

— jocelyn kaiser, Science | AAAS, "Gene edited monkeys offer hope for heart disease patients," 9 July 2018
When a mischievous monkey steals the cap off a cap seller’s head, the resulting chase is a delightful romp that leads right into the circus ring.

— SFChronicle.com, "Kids listings," 5 July 2018
This is tricky, though a surprising number of animals, including honey bees and monkeys, can recognize this fact.

— brian resnick, Vox, "The mind-bendy weirdness of the number zero, explained," 5 July 2018
At this splash pad, kids can run through loops, cannons, spraying bullfrog and monkey.

— azcentral, "45 Phoenix area splash pads, parks and water features," 14 June 2018
The consequences weren't spelled out, but all monkeys bite, according to MonkeyKisses.com.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "A monkey is on the run in South Carolina, and it loves to make itself at home," 8 June 2018
The trials, in which monkeys were exposed to diesel fumes to show there were no ill health effects on the animals, were led by the now-defunct research group EUGT.

— oliver sachgau, Bloomberg.com, "Volkswagen Reinstates Lobbyist After Monkey Test Investigation," 6 June 2018
Comparing black people to apes and monkeys is one of the favorite weapons in the racist’s arsenal, going all the way back to slave-trading.

— karla peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Why Roseanne Barr and Samantha Bee's slurs were shameful, but not equal," 1 June 2018
The kid on the back of my bike also had a slingshot and was shooting monkeys in the trees and some other people going past on motorbikes -- shooting rocks at them!

— gab ginsberg, Billboard, "Glass Animals Give Fans a Look at Their Stormy Red Rocks Set in 'The Other Side of Paradise' Video: Exclusive," 31 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of monkey

probably of Low German origin; akin to Moneke, name of an ape, probably of Romance origin; akin to Old Spanish mona monkey

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1530

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

monkey Synonyms

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

monkey

verb

Definition of monkey

monkeyed; monkeying

transitive verb

: mimic, mock

intransitive verb

1 : to act in a grotesque or mischievous manner

2 a : fool, trifle —often used with around

he likes to monkey around with engines

b : tamper —usually used with with

don't monkey with the settings

See monkey defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of monkey from the Web

Vieux Carre home owners and hoteliers have traditionally applied grease to the poles to prevent such monkeying around.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Greasing of the Poles: The slippery Mardi Gras ceremony is Feb. 9," 25 Jan. 2018
But there’s no stopping the construction now, so signing Kaepernick would not monkey-wrench the stadium.

— scott ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Colin Kaepernick a phone call away from being Raiders’ backup QB," 20 Jan. 2018
Last year our smokestacks and tailpipes puffed out more than 60 trillion pounds of the greenhouse gas, monkeying with the planet’s climate and acidifying the oceans.

— NBC News, "Can a Carbon 'Vacuum Cleaner' Save the Planet?," 1 Nov. 2017
Not seeing too many Kobe’s here at Electric Zoo as Bad Royale aren’t monkeying around with an energetic mix of electro, dub and dancehall.

— ryan middleton, Billboard, "Electric Zoo 2017 Day 1 Highlights: DJ Snake, Galantis, Sasha & John Digweed and More," 2 Sep. 2017
Many generations of monkeying around ensued, aided by the relative lack of natural predators (other than alligators, which often eat young, naïve primates on the riverbanks).

— tamara lush, chicagotribune.com, "Monkey troupe vexes Florida park, goes viral on social media," 11 July 2017
There’s very little Congress can do that people take more personally than monkeying around with healthcare.

— cathleen decker, latimes.com, "Vulnerable House Republicans fear political consequences after healthcare vote," 5 May 2017
Again, negotiators might monkey around a bit with the formula for how rapidly the Obamacare Medicaid expansion is killed and how deeply the long-term Medicaid cap would bite.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Here Are the Ways the GOP’s Senate Health Care Bill Won’t Be Getting Any Less Mean," 22 June 2017
Why do thriving sports feel the need to monkey around with their product?

— george vecsey, New York Times, "Soccer and Baseball Just Can’t Leave Well Enough Alone," 10 Feb. 2017

First Known Use of monkey

circa 1658

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

MONKEY Defined for English Language Learners

monkey

noun

Definition of monkey for English Language Learners

: a type of animal that is closely related to apes and humans and that has a long tail and usually lives in trees
: a person (especially a child) who causes trouble in a playful way

MONKEY Defined for Kids

monkey

noun mon·key \ ˈməŋ-kē \

Definition of monkey for Students

plural monkeys

: a furry animal of warm regions that has a long tail and that along with the apes is most closely related to humans

monkey

verb

Definition of monkey for Students

monkeyed; monkeying

1 : to spend time in an idle or aimless way

We just monkeyed around in the gym.

2 : to handle secretly or in a careless or incorrect way

He didn't want anyone monkeying with the cash register …
—George Selden, The Cricket in Times Square

Medical Dictionary

monkey

noun mon·key \ ˈməŋ-kē \

medical Definition of monkey

: a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers; especially : any of the smaller longer-tailed primates as contrasted with the apes