Synonyms

apish

American

[ey-pish] / ˈeɪ pɪʃ /

adjective

having the qualities, appearance, or ways of an ape.
slavishly imitative.
foolishly affected; silly.

apish British

/ ˈeɪpɪʃ /

adjective

stupid; foolish
resembling an ape
slavishly imitative

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

apishly adverb
apishness noun

Etymology

Origin of apish

First recorded in 1525–35; ape + -ish ¹

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.

We, these weird, apish creatures capable of pondering their own origins, are the biggest mystery of all, I say.

From Scientific American

Returning to our humble, apish roots is the only way to see anti-science sentiment go the way of the dodo.

From Nature

In his grossest display of disaffection, he apishly smeared his feces on the embassy walls, according to Ecuador’s interior minister.

From Washington Post

A hero who is apishly alpha or beatifically beta?

From New York Times

He’s held up a mirror to the country, shown us how blind and apish we are.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023