What does "ape" mean?
A primate of the superfamily Hominoidea, generally larger than monkeys and distinguished from them by having no tail.
Ape
/eɪp/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A primate of the superfamily Hominoidea, generally larger than monkeys and distinguished from them by having no tail.
- Grammar: ape is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: copycat, imitator, act, act a part.
- Useful contrasts: create, invent, inventor.
- Usage evidence: The male ape is intelligent by nature.
How to use "ape"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ape" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ape" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ape" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ape" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ape" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "copycat" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ape", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A primate of the superfamily Hominoidea, generally larger than monkeys and distinguished from them by having no tail.
"Of vvhat texte thou proveſt hell / vvill a nother prove purgatory / a nother lymbo patrum / and a nother the aſſumpcion of oure ladi: And a nother ſhall prove of the ſame texte that an Ape hath a tayle."
- 2 Initialism of alkylphenol ethoxylate. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"The most important and commonly used APEs are nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which account for 80% of the APE market."
- 3 any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all wordnet
- 4 Any such primate other than a human.
- 5 person who resembles a nonhuman primate wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 An unintelligent or unsophisticated person, especially one who behaves irrationally or in an uncivilised manner. derogatory
- 7 someone who copies the words or behavior of another wordnet
- 8 One who apes; a foolish imitator.
- 9 A black person. ethnic, offensive, slur
Verb
- 1 To behave like an ape. intransitive
- 2 represent in or produce a caricature of wordnet
- 3 To imitate or mimic, particularly to imitate poorly. transitive
"And well their dignity it ſuits, / To ape the gravity of brutes."
- 4 imitate uncritically and in every aspect wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Wild; crazy. not-comparable, slang
"We were ape over the new look."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The male ape is intelligent by nature."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ape"?
Common synonyms include: copycat, imitator, act, act a part, act as, act out.
How do you use "ape" in a sentence?
The male ape is intelligent by nature.
How do you pronounce "ape"?
Pronounced /eɪp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English ape, from Old English apa (“ape, monkey”), from Proto-West Germanic *apō, from Proto-Germanic *apô (“monkey, ape”), possibly derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“water”), compare Proto-Celtic *abū (“river”) (hence English place name Avon, Irish abha, Welsh afon), if the word originally referred to a "water sprite". Traditionally assumed to be an ancient loanword instead, ultimately probably from an unidentified non-Indo-European language of regions in Africa or Asia where monkeys are native. Cognate with Scots aip (“ape”), West Frisian aap (“ape”), Dutch aap (“monkey, ape”), Low German Ape (“ape”), German Affe (“monkey, ape”), Swedish apa (“monkey, ape”), Icelandic api (“ape”).
Etymology 2
Clipping of apeshit (“ape-shit (crazy)”).