mimic

mimic — verb

1. to repeat a person's words, gestures, or tone of voice, often with slight exagge

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to repeat a person's words, gestures, or tone of voice, often with slight exaggeration, so that an audience finds it amusing.

Example

Gabriel mimicked the teacher's strict voice, and the whole class burst out laughing.

mimic + [person]'s [mannerism/voice/behavior]

At the comedy show, Femi mimicked the mayor's slow way of speaking perfectly.

Common collocations
  • mimic someone's voice / accent / walk / gestures / tone
  • mimic perfectly / exactly
  • mimic for laughs / for entertainment
Synonyms
  • imitate

    neutral; copying can be for study or fun, not necessarily for humor

  • ape

    more informal; suggests clumsy or foolish copying

  • parody

    humorous exaggeration of a person's style or work

Grammar Patterns

mimic + noun phrase (person or mannerism)

mimic + the way + clause

Usage Note

Frequently implies playful or humorous intent. Unlike 'imitate', which is neutral, this sense often suggests deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

Common Mistakes

She mimicked the bird's song perfectly.
She imitated the bird's song perfectly.
When the goal is accuracy rather than humor, 'imitate' is more natural.

2. to take on the appearance, sound, or function of something else, whether by natu

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to take on the appearance, sound, or function of something else, whether by natural design (as in animals and plants that blend in) or by human engineering (as in machines and software).

Example

Some insects mimic the color and shape of leaves to hide from hunters.

biological mimicry: mimic + appearance features

The robot arm mimics the natural movement of a human hand quite closely.

Common collocations
  • mimic + appearance / color / shape / smell / sound / behavior
  • mimic + closely / perfectly
Synonyms
  • simulate

    more technical; often used for machines or systems that reproduce conditions

  • resemble

    static; describes similarity without suggesting active copying

  • imitate

    broader; can be used for both deliberate and natural copying

Grammar Patterns

mimic + noun phrase (appearance/behavior/function)

Usage Note

Common in biology (describing natural mimicry) and technology (describing software or machines that simulate real-world features). The subject is usually an animal, plant, or machine, not a person acting deliberately.

mimic — noun

mimic — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe copying someone, but they differ in tone and intent. 'Imitate' is the most neutral term — you can imitate a teacher's lesson style for serious study or imitate a famous singer for fun. 'Mimic' (the headword) leans toward playful or humorous copying, often with slight exaggeration. 'Ape' is more informal and suggests clumsy or foolish imitation, as in 'He aped the manners of the rich without understanding them.' 'Mock' implies contempt or ridicule — you mock someone to make them look bad, not just to make people laugh. 'Parody' is a specific form of humorous exaggeration applied to a person's style or creative work, like a parody song that copies a famous tune with funny new lyrics. 'My sister loves to imitate the way our grandmother speaks, but she would never mock her.'

imitate ↗ape ↗mock ↗parody

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'mimic' comes from the Latin 'mimicus', meaning 'pertaining to a mime', which came from the Greek 'mimikos' — 'of or for an actor or mime'. The Greek root 'mimos' meant 'imitator, actor, mime'. The word entered English in the late 1500s, first as an adjective ('imitative'), then as a noun ('a person who imitates'), and later as a verb ('to imitate').