gorilla

noun

gə-ˈri-lə How to pronounce gorilla (audio)
Definition of gorillanext
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to "convince" him to pay up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gorilla The Disney Parks Blog announced his arrival less than a year after the passing of Gino, the beloved 44-year-old gorilla who led the troop since the park's opening in 1998. — Eve Chen, USA Today, 30 July 2026 The age restriction for chimpanzee tracking is 12 years (gorillas, 15 years); childcare can be arranged if needed. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026 Those super-smart chimps, gorillas, and orangutans eventually evolved and rebelled against their human masters. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 July 2026 Chimpanzees and gorillas both live in groups where nearly all of the adults are female. — ArsTechnica, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
  1. thug
  2. villain
  3. bandit
  4. gangster
  5. criminal
  6. assassin
  7. pirate
  8. hood
Noun
  • Tae-ha’s mom left him after Sang-gil, who was also a boxer prior to becoming a thug, cheated in a match.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Shortly after his big win, he’s attacked by two thugs in a parking garage.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Broncos coach/Falcons villain/Bountygate co-conspirator Sean Payton took a shot at the home fans during a halftime interview on Friday.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • How did directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado get Salonga to play a villain?
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • The train was sitting just outside a depot in Memphis when the bandits made their move.
    — Kiel Porter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Created by Joe Brumm, Bluey centers around an Australian blue heeler pup and her family -- mom Chilli, dad bandit and little sister Bingo.
    — Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • Karp was also involved in the sale last week of a $21 million lot on Palm Island where a mansion owned by gangster Al Capone once stood.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The bodies start piling up – and business booms – but the growing enterprise puts the trio in the crosshairs of the powerful gangsters and underworld figures in the lawless border town of Saribgunj.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • Spencer says filmmaker Douglas wanted to very much focus mostly on the women rather than talking about the criminals.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Depending on the plan, monitoring may cover credit activity, financial accounts, investment and retirement accounts, phone takeovers, SIM swaps, utility accounts and other areas where criminals may try to use your identity.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Later, an assassin posing as River arrives at the home of David Cartwright (River’s grandfather) to kill him but is shot by David instead.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Clive Owen and other assassins pursue them through the streets of Europe.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of assassin
Noun
  • In the national consciousness, Blackpool has become a morbid caricature of working-class Britain—a place where binge drinking, violence, and vomit are in view of teacup rides, kids on the beach, and plastic pirates.
    — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For their day off, the crew is treated to a ride on a pirate ship and a day at a beach club.
    — Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of pirate
Noun
  • Perfect for transitional weather, look for traits like water-resistant wax coating, removable hoods and natural fibers like wool for temperature-regulating comfort.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Under the hood, Intel's new Wildcat Lake platform promises solid performance for productivity and entertainment.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hood

Browse Nearby Words

gorgons
gorilla
gorillas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gorilla

Nglish: Translation of gorilla for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gorilla

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All