mimic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to copy the way someone talks, moves, or behaves, often to make people laugh.
v.to imitate the voice, gestures, or mannerisms of another, frequently for the purpose of ridicule or entertainment.
Simple“The comedian could mimic the president's voice perfectly, making the whole audience laugh.”
In context“The satirist spent years learning to mimic the subtle inflections of the aristocracy to sharpen the bite of his social commentary.”
PitfallHe is mimicing his teacher. He is mimicking his teacher.When adding -ing or -ed to 'mimic', you must add a 'k' to keep the hard 'c' sound.
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to look or act like something else in order to stay safe or hide.
v.to evolve or assume a resemblance to another organism or an inanimate object, typically for protection or camouflage.
Simple“Some harmless snakes mimic the colors of poisonous ones to scare away predators.”
In context“The insect has evolved to mimic a dead leaf, allowing it to remain undetected by birds while resting on the forest floor.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who is very good at copying others.
n.a person, such as an actor or performer, who is skilled at imitating others.
Simple“She is a talented mimic who can do over twenty different accents.”
In context“As a natural mimic, he found it easy to blend into different social circles by adopting the local dialect almost instantly.”
Synonymsimpressionistimitator - 04 C1 Advanced
adj.used to describe something that is an imitation or not real.
adj.characterized by imitation; simulated or mock in nature.
Simple“The soldiers took part in a mimic battle to practice their skills.”
In context“The researchers conducted a mimic trial to observe how the new software would perform under simulated market pressure.”
“Confounding the situation further is the fact that “symptoms that can be associated with elevated histamine levels can mimic perimenopausal symptoms”, says Voedisch.”
“A ‘body-on-chip’ device developed at Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, mimics how a new drug moves through the human body.”
From Latin mīmicus, from Ancient Greek μῑμικός (mīmikós, “belonging to mimes”), from μῖμος (mîmos, “imitator, actor”); see mime.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.