gorilla

American  

[guh-ril-uh] / gəˈrɪl ə /

noun

gorillas plural

1. a terrestrial, largely vegetarian great ape of the genus Gorilla , inhabiting central African forests: possessing great upper body strength, with arms longer and more muscular than its legs, it is noted for its knuckle-walking and is larger than any other living primate.

2. an ugly, brutish person.

3. Slang. a hoodlum or thug, especially one who threatens or inflicts violence.

   Like any mob boss, he sent his gorillas to do the dirty work.

4. Disparaging and Offensive. (used as a slur against a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, especially a Black person.)

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gorilla British  

/ ɡəˈrɪlə, ɡəˈrɪlaɪn /

noun

1. the largest anthropoid ape, Gorilla gorilla, inhabiting the forests of central W Africa. It is stocky and massive, with a short muzzle and coarse dark hair

2. informal a large, strong, and brutal-looking man

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Sensitive Note

See simianization.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gorilla-like
  adjective
• gorillalike
  adjective
• gorillian
  adjective
• gorilline
  adjective
• gorilloid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gorillas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gorilla

First recorded in 1845–50; from New Latin, from Greek Goríllās (accusative plural) name for the females of a hairy tribe encountered in an account of a voyage along the coast of Africa made by the Carthaginian Hanno in the 5th century b.c.

Explanation

A gorilla is the world's largest primate — the kind of great, powerful ape you might see on an African safari. The stocky, large-headed gorilla is one of the most impressive animals you'll come across in the primate area of a zoo. Gorillas are vegetarians whose native habitat is the forest of central west Africa. The word gorilla is sometimes also used to refer to a big, aggressive man. It was first coined in the 19th century by a United States missionary to Africa, from the Greek word gorillai — the word Carthaginian explorer Hanno used to mean "wild, hairy people" in 500 B.C.E.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gorilla gorillas

Zoo has welcomed the birth of five great apes, including a gorilla, orangutan and three chimpanzees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

As Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos wrote, and Barron’s reported, at the time, “no one likes it when an 800-pound gorilla comes sniffing around.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

What’s more intimidating, an 800-pound gorilla or a horde of small ones?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

As Sir David approaches his 100th birthday on 8 May, he has taken part in two documentaries that look back at that unforgettable meeting and the dramatic story of what became of that gorilla family.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

It is made from the hand of a gorilla.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

Chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans all produce laughter, but scientists have long wondered how those vocalizations changed over millions of years and whether they could reveal anything about the origins of human language.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

To investigate, researchers analyzed laughter recordings from four orangutans, two gorillas, three bonobos, four chimpanzees, and four humans.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

The zoologist George Schaller traveled the globe to get up close and personal with tigers, gorillas and other animals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Recalling the series' highlight, when he unexpectedly found himself up close with a group of mountain gorillas, Attenborough described the experience as "bliss" and "extraordinary".

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

The most important thing to know about prehistoric humans is that they were insignificant animals with no more impact on their environment than gorillas, fireflies or jellyfish.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

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