mimic
Americanverb (used with object)
-
mimics,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mimicked,
past participle, past
-
mimicking
present participle
-
to imitate or copy in action, speech, etc., often playfully or derisively.
- Synonyms:
- counterfeit, simulate, impersonate, mock, follow
-
to imitate in a servile or unthinking way; ape.
-
to be an imitation of; simulate; resemble closely.
noun
-
mimics
plural
-
a person who mimics, especially a performer skilled in mimicking others.
-
a copy or imitation of something.
-
a performer in a mime.
adjective
-
imitating or copying something, often on a smaller scale.
a mimic battle.
- Synonyms:
- mock
-
apt at or given to imitating; imitative; simulative.
verb
-
to imitate (a person, a manner, etc), esp for satirical effect; ape
known mainly for his ability to mimic other singers
-
to take on the appearance of; resemble closely
certain flies mimic wasps
-
to copy closely or in a servile manner
noun
-
a person or an animal, such as a parrot, that is clever at mimicking
-
an animal that displays mimicry
adjective
-
of, relating to, or using mimicry; imitative
-
simulated, make-believe, or mock
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mimicsimple
-
mimicssimple
-
have mimickedperfect
-
has mimickedperfect
-
am mimickingprogressive
-
are mimickingprogressive
-
is mimickingprogressive
-
have been mimickingperfect progressive
-
has been mimickingperfect progressive
Past
-
mimickedsimple
-
had mimickedperfect
-
was mimickingprogressive
-
were mimickingprogressive
-
had been mimickingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mimic
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin mīmicus, from Greek mīmikós; equivalent to mime + -ic
Explanation
A mimic is someone who is good at imitating others. A gifted mimic might be able to imitate one president after another just by minimally changing facial expression and manner of speaking. Mimic, related to mime ("an entertainer who performs using gestures not speech"), can be traced back to the Greek mimeisthai, "to imitate." Usually when you mimic someone, you imitate them in order to make fun of them. Performers mimic famous people to get laughs, but ordinary people mimic others when they are angry at them. Who hasn't mimicked parents or a boss who has said no one too many times?!
Vocabulary lists containing mimic
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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Instead of "Said": Words That Sound Like What They Mean
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Thompson’s screenplay used precious few lines from Austen’s novel; she preferred to mimic the author’s style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
But how can I not feel a little bad about being “left behind” by the people around me, who seem to be on an upward trajectory that I can’t mimic in my line of work?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
To mimic strength training, the mice climbed a 70-centimeter staircase while carrying weights attached to their tails.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Its new flagship product is a two-armed, self-learning robot called Alfie that is designed to mimic a human working on a factory floor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Her ear for languages made her a brilliant mimic of all types of sounds.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Cregger’s approach to “Resident Evil” is to seamlessly blend the cinematic with a gaming experience and his adaptation best mimics the feeling of playing an actual game or watching someone else play one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Zuckerberg's recent essay doesn't name names - but the Meta boss mimics Andreessen by questioning those who have warned about the negatives of future tech.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Novo’s success was fueled by one thing: semaglutide, a medication that mimics the naturally occurring hormone in the gut that signals to the brain it’s not hungry, while regulating digestion and blood sugar.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Some use a wrapper—a structure that mimics a stock’s performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Hey, Christy! Cool shirt! Heart emoji. I have the sunglasses one! I am slick,” he says, and mimics slicking back his hair.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Moreover, even a consumer-goods manufacturer’s boldest creations can be mimicked by a retailer’s private label.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
The plan in many ways mimicked last season’s successful sojourn to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
The winner of the recent Mexico City edition was a fresh-faced Kaled Rosales Salazar, who mimicked lassoing and leading his opponent, Quintana, like a horse, with a giant white sandal as a prop.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
People mimicked the 10 sports that will be played during the Games.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
They liked it when she mimicked popular songs from the radio in the schoolyard.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
Jack, a Toy Story fan, responded with his usual "to infinity and beyond," mimicking the catchphrase of the Buzz Lightyear character from the movie.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
To prepare for filming, Eleazar spent a month in Los Angeles, mimicking Misty’s routine and observing the locals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
We studied the choreography, mimicking his strut to the ballroom stage, the hip swivels, the disco arm roll as he sings about getting Brad and Janet a satanic mechanic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
To test that idea, the researchers used a drug to inhibit C3 activation in mice, mimicking one of the effects of calorie restriction.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Sometimes, I remember, little Karli would pretend to smoke, mimicking everything that Papi did, until he had us both in fits of laughter.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
