Synonyms of imitate

imitate

verb

ˈi-mə-ˌtāt 

1

as in to emulate

to use (someone or something) as the model for one's speech, mannerisms, or behavior

teenage musicians who imitate whichever rock stars are hot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• emulate
• copy
• mimic
• repeat
• mock
• ape
• mime
• parody
• echo
• perform
• play
• copycat
• caricature
• impersonate
• ditto
• lampoon
• reecho
• burlesque
• pantomime
• travesty

2

as in to parody

to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of

imitating someone's stutter and laughing at them is a cruel thing to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parody
• mock
• do
• mimic
• spoof
• emulate
• caricature
• simulate
• send up
• reproduce
• perform
• play
• burlesque
• pretend
• ridicule
• replicate
• satirize
• deride
• travesty
• lampoon
• enhance
• duplicate
• personate
• act
• parrot
• ape
• exaggerate
• feign
• gibe
• embellish
• elaborate
• monkey
• dissemble
• counterfeit
• fake
• stretch
• amplify
• embroider
• impersonate
• copycat
• overstate
• mime
• magnify
• expand
• pad
• play up
• sham
• pasquinade
• flesh (out)
• enlarge (on or upon)
• put on
• pantomime
• overdraw

3

as in to reproduce

to make an exact likeness of

a second-rate artist who was notorious for imitating the works of other painters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reproduce
• replicate
• copy
• render
• duplicate
• clone
• reconstruct
• simulate
• copycat
• mimic
• reduplicate
• forge
• counterfeit
• fake
• rip off
• re-create
• knock off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• create
• originate
• imagine
• initiate
• invent

Synonym Chooser

How is the word imitate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of imitate are ape, copy, mimic, and mock. While all these words mean "to make something so that it resembles an existing thing," imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation.

imitate a poet's style

When is ape a more appropriate choice than imitate?

The words ape and imitate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original.

American fashion designers aped their European colleagues

Where would copy be a reasonable alternative to imitate?

The synonyms copy and imitate are sometimes interchangeable, but copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible.

copied the painting and sold the fake as an original

When is it sensible to use mimic instead of imitate?

The words mimic and imitate can be used in similar contexts, but mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation.

pupils mimicking their teacher

When could mock be used to replace imitate?

The meanings of mock and imitate largely overlap; however, mock usually implies imitation with derision.

mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of imitate

An icon worth imitating, to be sure. —Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026

And, because life sometimes imitates art, Williams and Storrie are heading to the Olympics. —Anna Zucca, Vanity Fair, 23 Jan. 2026

To Aristotle, the best and easiest way to seed and nurture a virtue is to imitate those who embody it. —Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 19 Jan. 2026

There were plenty of laughs, as Montero imitated Lester’s pickoff throw and the players told some clubhouse stories, including some fights. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026