English Dictionary
Definition of “imitate”
imitate (ˈɪmɪˌteɪt
)
Definitions
verb (tr)
- to try to follow the manner, style, character, etc, of or take as a model ⇒
many writers imitated the language of Shakespeare
- to pretend to be or to impersonate, esp for humour; mimic
- to make a copy or reproduction of; duplicate; counterfeit
- to make or be like; resemble or simulate ⇒
her achievements in politics imitated her earlier successes in business
Alternative Forms
ˈimitable adjective ˌimitaˈbility ˈimitableness noun ˈimiˌtator noun Word Origin
C16: from Latin imitārī; see image
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
copy,
follow,
repeat,
echo,
emulate,
ape,
simulate,
mirror,
follow suit,
duplicate,
counterfeit,
follow in the footsteps of take a leaf out of (someone's) book=
do an impression of
take off,
mimic,
do,
affect,
copy,
mock,
parody,
caricature,
send up,
spoof,
impersonate,
burlesque,
personate,
Translations
- British English:
imitate
If you imitate someone, you copy what they do or produce.The bird imitated the ring tone of his mobile phone.ˈɪmɪˌteɪt VERB The bird imitated the ring tone of his mobile phone.
- Spanish:
imitar
v
- French:
imiter
vt
- German:
imitieren
v
- Chinese: 模仿 v
- Arabic: يُقَلِّدُ vt
- Portuguese: imitar v
- Russian: имитировать v
- Croatian: imitirati v
- Czech: napodobit v napodobovat
- Danish: efterligne v
- Dutch: imiteren v
- Finnish: matkia v
- Greek: μιμούμαι v
- Italian: imitare v
- Japanese: 模倣する v
- Korean: 모방하다 v
- Norwegian: imitere v
- Polish: imitować v
- Brazilian Portuguese: imitar v
- European Spanish:
imitar
v
- Swedish: imitera v
- Thai: เลียนแบบ v
- Turkish: taklit etmek v
- Vietnamese: bắt chước v
Usage examples
Charles slumped into his armchair and attempted to imitate Christopher Robin who curled up small so that nobody knew he was there at all.
Secombe, Fred, Goodbye Curate (1993)He can even imitate mating calls of various animals to confuse the enemy.
India Today (1997)Enron's trading operations grew under Skilling's leadership, prompting other energy companies to imitate the company's apparent success.
canada.com (2004)The Prince and Milligan first met in 1969, when the Prince demonstrated his ability to imitate his favourite characters.
Times, Sunday Times (2002)Nature never intended this one of its subjects to imitate the hare.
Will Davenport, THE PAINTER (2003)
