imp

noun

ˈimp How to pronounce imp (audio)
Definition of impnext
1
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person scooped up the little imp and took him to bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demon
an evil spirit a story about a crumbling mansion infested with a brood of imps

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 imp It’s believed that the 13th-century castle is haunted by a magical imp who frequently visits the Markomanka and Hlíza, or black, towers. — Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025 Tim Burton's film explores the border between life and the afterlife with some of the best in the biz, from Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin’s wholesome (and dead) homeowners to Winona Ryder's angsty teen to her ridiculous mother (Catherine O'Hara) to the imp with a limp (Michael Keaton). — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025 The mushroom’s healing properties also lead to hallucinations, often involving mysterious white imps, who should be adorable and instead come across as menacing little ghouls. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025 Combining animation and live action, the film continues the adventures of the magical imp Pumuckl. — Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for imp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imp
  1. monkey
  2. demon
  3. devil
  4. ghost
  5. ghoul
  6. vampire
Noun
  • Johnson said a teenager present in the courtroom was the foster child at the center of allegations that Deutsch traded her for a monkey.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Jebreal clarified that Jeffries reminded her of the three wise monkeys, who cannot hear, see, or speak, but her comment was quickly denounced by Democrats.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of monkey
Noun
  • For Liam, that means pouring out his anger as if to exercise a demon from within.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • They accidentally get sucked into a portal that transports them to a fantastical world with a friendly weredog (Dave Franco) and a demon (Lea Salonga) that feeds on memories.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • In January, Watts was a guest on actor Rainn Wilson’s podcast, where Watts played devil’s advocate to Wilson’s skeptic about casual use of mind-altering substances.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Throughout the movie, two mentors stand over each of his shoulders like an aproned angel and devil.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • During a fraught encounter between Hamlet and the ghost of his father, an actor freezes before exiting entirely.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Liam sweeps in like the ghost of Christmas Present and suddenly everyone — everyone being Noel — starts to wonder if this just might work after all.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • Gemma even winds up having to give a teeth cleaning to one of the silent, creepy ghouls pursuing her.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Practicality Viewers know Walton Goggins’ Cooper Howard as a ghoul because of radiation from a bomb dropped in 2077.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • The teen drama, based on the 1992 movie of the same name, was about the title character battling vampires and other baddies plus high school at the same time.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Nosferatu In 2024 Depp appeared in Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu as Ellen Hutter, a young woman tormented and nearly possessed by the film’s titular vampire.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of vampire

Browse Nearby Words

immutableness
imp
impact
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imp. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All