ape

ape — noun

1. a strong, intelligent primate that resembles a big monkey but has no tail; goril

1.nounB2
Definition

a strong, intelligent primate that resembles a big monkey but has no tail; gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gibbons are all apes, and many of them swing between branches using their long arms.

Example

Gorillas are the largest apes and live in the forests of central Africa.

subject + are + apes (classification pattern)

Dr. Goodall spent decades studying how apes raise their young in the wild.

object: studying how apes + verb-clause

Common collocations
  • great ape
  • young ape
  • wild ape
  • ape sanctuary
  • ape behaviour
Synonyms
  • primate

    broader scientific term that also covers monkeys and humans

  • simian

    formal/technical adjective or noun for ape-like animals

Usage Note

Often contrasted with 'monkey' in everyday speech, but biologically distinct: apes lack tails and have larger brains. Common in nature, science, and conservation contexts.

Common Mistakes

I saw a small ape with a long tail at the zoo.
I saw a small monkey with a long tail at the zoo.
apes do not have tails; if it has a tail, it's a monkey.
Idioms

go ape

idiom

to suddenly become very angry or very excited about something, often shouting or behaving wildly.

Dad went ape when he saw the broken kitchen window.

The fans went ape as their team scored the winning goal.

ape — verb

Word family

  • apelike
    adjectiveC2
  • great ape
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs describe copying someone's words or behaviour, but the tone differs sharply. 'Imitate' is the neutral, all-purpose choice — children imitate their parents, students imitate their teachers, and no judgment is implied. 'Mimic' often suggests a clever, entertaining copy: a comedian mimics a celebrity's accent for laughs, and the result can be admired. 'Parrot' focuses narrowly on repeating words without grasping their meaning, as when a politician parrots a slogan. 'Ape', the strongest and most negative, suggests the copy is shallow, clumsy, or even ridiculous — a brand that apes a luxury label fails to capture its real appeal. Compare: 'She mimicked her grandmother's laugh fondly' (warm) versus 'The film merely aped its predecessor' (dismissive).

ape ↗imitate ↗mimic ↗parrot ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ape sanctuary
  • ape behaviour
  • ape language

Adverbs

Phrases

  • great ape
  • young ape
  • wild ape

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The noun comes from Old English 'apa', a word shared with several other Germanic languages and used for tailless monkey-like animals long before modern science distinguished apes from monkeys. The verb sense 'to imitate clumsily' developed in late medieval English: people noticed how apes seemed to copy human gestures, and the word became a vivid label for any awkward, shallow imitation. The slang phrase 'go ape' (become wildly excited or angry) is a much later American addition from the mid-20th century.