# ape

/ˈeɪp/ (US) · /ˈeɪp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ape
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the animal

noun · CEFR A2

a large animal that looks like a monkey but has no tail, such as a gorilla or chimpanzee.

For teachers: any tail-less primate of the superfamily Hominoidea, excluding humans in general-service contexts.

- The children watched the apes swinging from the branches at the zoo.
- Biologists study the social structures of great apes to better understand the evolutionary roots of human cooperation.

### 2. clumsy or rude person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person who is rude, loud, or acts without thinking.

For teachers: a derogatory term for an individual perceived as unintelligent, uncivilized, or physically clumsy.

- Don't be such a big ape and watch where you are walking.
- He was often dismissed as a mindless ape by his peers, despite his surprising aptitude for complex mathematics.

### 4. to go wild

adjective · CEFR B2 · Slang · Informal

to become very angry, excited, or crazy.

For teachers: used in the idiomatic phrase 'to go ape', meaning to become extremely emotional or lose self-control.

- The fans went ape when the singer finally walked onto the stage.
- The manager went absolutely ape when he discovered the accounting error had cost the firm thousands of dollars.

## Examples

- The ape swung from one tree to another.
- Zookeepers feed the apes fresh fruit every morning.
- Unlike monkeys, apes lack tails and generally possess larger brains relative to their body size.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.