1
a
: any of various large tailless semi-erect primates of Africa and southeastern Asia (such as the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon)
called also anthropoid, anthropoid ape
compare great ape
b
: monkey
especially
: one of the larger tailless or short-tailed Old World forms
—not used technically
2
a
: mimic
b
: a large uncouth person
aped; aping
: to copy closely but often clumsily and ineptly
aper
noun
1
: wildly excited or enthusiastic
Our family of ten was ape for apricots, passionate about peaches …—
Jerry Nelson
—usually used in the phrase go apeJerry NelsonKids go ape pointing out the location of the tiny otter on the big stage.—Dewayne Bevil
Dewayne BevilThe odds of the Phillies winning a World Series increased exponentially and the betting world went ape.—Tommy Gartrell
Tommy Gartrell2
: showing extreme or uncontrolled anger, aggression, or agitation
—usually used in the phrase go ape
They knew George Steinbrenner would go ape if the Yankees lost the highest-stakes game ever against the Red Sox.—Randy Miller
Randy MillerAlso, don't scream at the top of your lungs or generally go ape. Screaming is for emergencies.—Jody Stallings
Jody StallingsWinged things have spooked me ever since a duck went ape and attacked me at age 4 at the Bronx Zoo.—Alfred Lubrano
Alfred Lubrano
Examples of ape in a Sentence
Noun
Her boyfriend's some big ape she met at a party.
Verb
She apes the speech and manners of the rich.
was caught aping the substitute teacher's thick accent
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey famously compared space exploration to apes’ discovery of tools.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2024
Lavender Au, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
Above all, those kids who come from the suburbs didn’t ape the Americans but chose their own narrative path, going much higher in quality.
—Marcello Junior Dino, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2024
Crispin Long, The New Yorker, 12 July 2022
Each faces resistance from his own side, since anti-ape prejudice is still part of the formerly dominant species’ worldview.
—New York Times, 13 May 2021
See all Example Sentences for ape 
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Noun
But Kong's most important contribution to the horror genre may have more to do with his creator, stop-motion artist Willis H. O'Brien, than the giant rampaging ape himself.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey famously compared space exploration to apes’ discovery of tools.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2024
Verb
On its app homepage, JD has begun aping Pinduoduo by emphasizing discounts.
—Lavender Au, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
Above all, those kids who come from the suburbs didn’t ape the Americans but chose their own narrative path, going much higher in quality.
—Marcello Junior Dino, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The same is true of their treatment of Number One, Luther, who is gravely harmed on a doomed solo mission and injected with a life-saving experimental serum that transforms his body into that of an ape-human hybrid.
—Crispin Long, The New Yorker, 12 July 2022
Each faces resistance from his own side, since anti-ape prejudice is still part of the formerly dominant species’ worldview.
—New York Times, 13 May 2021
See all Example Sentences for ape
Dictionary Entries Near ape
Cite this Entry
“Ape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ape. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ape
1 of 2 noun1
a
: monkey entry 1 sense 1
especially
: one of the larger tailless or short-tailed forms
b
: any of two families of large primates including the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and gibbon
3
: a large uncouth person
ape
2 of 2 verb
aped; aping
: to copy closely but often clumsily
aper
noun
Medical Definition
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