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 Bakari previously lived at another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo with a group of bachelor male gorillas before being gradually introduced to the troop at Animal Kingdom. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 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 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 eponymous former assassin is drawn back into the game after some thugs (led by Alfie Allen) kill his dog and royally piss him off.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Hailing from London as the son of hardscrabble fruit sellers, Winstone was often asked to channel his rough-and-tumble upbringing and pre-acting career as a boxer into mobster and villain roles.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Standing in his way is a mysterious villain intent on his destruction.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Analysts warn each ransom payment fuels more crime as armed groups, from rural bandits to Islamist militants, raid schools, mosques and villages, with an average of 21 kidnappings reported daily.
    — Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Brigands of Rattlecreek follows a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • One of the most striking aspects of the novel is its characters’ profound self-consciousness about the place of the gangster in American culture.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Related Stories The story follows Robbie, whose parents were murdered at the hands of notorious gangster Franz Müller in the 90s.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • Throughout the bar are blurbs of information on cases and criminals, researched by Rose and the team.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • When criminals are behind bars, their victims should finally be safe from them.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Making everyone a potential spy or assassin was only an expedient way to destroy institutions internally and externally through financial incentives.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Skirting bravely around the edges of space to seek solace, they’re hunted by the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a deadly Alliance assassin on a mission who seeks to recapture her.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of assassin
Noun
  • Speaking of singing pirates, Curry clearly fancied these kinds of roles, signing on to play the villainous Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Brian Henson’s musical adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That is up from Politico’s report that Somali pirates had seized at least three tankers carrying oil and fertilizer since April, while a chemical-carrying ship was hijacked off Yemen in July.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pirate
Noun
  • There must have been a hundred of us there, circling the truck, clambering onto its hood, shuffling and shimmying and twerking with abandon.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • At least three cars rested on the right shoulder next to the Williams Street on-ramp and one had serious hood and windshield damage.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gorilla

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gorilla

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