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

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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 Only a dozen habituated gorilla families are open to visitors, and no more than eight people may visit each family per day. — Emily Baldwin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2026 Conversations with chimpanzees and gorillas aren’t exactly rich in metaphor and critical analysis. — Mike McRae 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 Until then, Kamba and Nora will use the outdoor yard separately from Como’s gorilla troop and may not always be visible to visitors. — Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2026 King Kong was supposed to be a real giant gorilla, not a cartoon one. — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 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
  • The residents occasionally gather in a disused rec center but the meetings devolve into rants about immigrants, junkies, thugs and vigilantism.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That a Christian man was responsible for the devastation in Oklahoma City certainly didn’t matter to the thugs who terrorized a Muslim woman there, nearly seven months pregnant, by attacking her home, breaking her windows, screaming religious slurs.
    — Reshma Memon Yaqub, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Tell me more about William, the actual villain, and what his character represents.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite Nas emerging as one of the season’s primary antagonists, Kelly doesn’t necessarily view him as a straightforward villain.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Between Two Fires is a zippy historical monster story, where a bandit ex-knight and a young girl beset by visions have to contend with plague and inhuman monsters.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Snoopy and Woodstock line the outside of the bowl in costumes like cowboys, mummies, bandits, and witches.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangsters to somehow beat the reaper.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • The Financial Action Task Force, the global money-laundering watchdog, has warned that criminals exploit citizenship and residency programs to conceal their identities, launder illicit wealth and evade justice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The real risk is that a criminal could forge your signature on a deed or trick you into signing paperwork that transfers ownership, then file that document with the local office that maintains property records.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • But instead the sisters wind up confronting assassins, demons with human familiars, and revelations about their late mother’s place within Le Clan des Sorcières.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Separately in the episode, River (Jack Lowden) and Sid (Olivia Cooke) are on the run from a pair of assassins, while the rest of the team circles the wagons en route to a safe house.
    — Lisa de los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of assassin
Noun
  • Jamal convened a press conference proclaiming to be able to communicate by phone with Somali pirates who were holding a Nigerian ship hostage.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Get it at 50 percent off and complete the set with matching bowls featuring the whole Peanuts gang in designs with bats and pumpkins, Snoopy’s doghouse, pirates, Schroeder’s piano, pumpkin patches, cute costumes, and more.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pirate
Noun
  • Composed of top-of-the-line cotton and swathed in a rich Ruby Red for fall, the zip-up also comes with a drawstring hood and channels an inherently nostalgic, Americana kind of energy.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This discretion does not mean it’s diminished under the hood.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 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 7 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gorilla

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gorilla

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