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 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 Researchers tickled 13 captive apes — including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos — and recorded the results. — ABC News, 25 June 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
  • Shortly after his big win, he’s attacked by two thugs in a parking garage.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
  • The night of the title fight, Duke is attacked by two thugs who smash his hand with a hammer and, in the ensuing chaos, kill somebody close to him.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • The second is the idea that this is where Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch returns to the MCU after being seemingly killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she had been turned into a full villain.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But because Detroit chose the offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skubal has unwittingly become a villain around the league.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • The film reimagines the legend of Chang’Er, the moon goddess, and her husband, the archer Hou Yi, picking up the story after Chang’Er ascends to the moon and setting her on a journey to its dark side alongside a bandit from Earth.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In Kogi State, bandits recently raided an orphanage and took twenty-three children hostage.
    — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • Badly in Love manages to break through because the cast of men and women looking for true love are from the Japanese yankii subculture—juvenile delinquents, motorcycle gangsters, troubled women, and more.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • Ritchson plays a tough guy who falls for a local gangster’s girl.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Created by Tessa Coates, Ride or Die is a spy action comedy about an assassin, Judith (Waddingham) whose latest case inadvertently involves her best friend of more than 20 years, Debbie (Spencer), a politician’s wife.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This show loves nothing more this season than to introduce a potential assassin and promptly thwart his plan via blade to the head or neck.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of assassin
Noun
  • But the island was also a haven for outcasts and pirates and merchants, from across Europe and the Levant and beyond, who came to the Caribbean to seek their fortunes or to help grow the fortunes of others.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The voyage started with 350 captives; almost all died or were kidnapped a second time by pirates.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of pirate
Noun
  • From my city, from neighbors and hoods then to Bogota, then to Cali, then Barranquilla, then Colombia, then Venezuela, then Bolivia.
    — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Workers are fixing the hood, repairing parts of the car pushed in over the decades and adding new padding.
    — Joe Marusak August 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 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 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gorilla

Nglish: Translation of gorilla for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gorilla

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