gorilla

noun

go·​ril·​la gə-ˈri-lə How to pronounce gorilla (audio)
1
: a very large typically black-colored anthropoid ape (Gorilla gorilla) of equatorial Africa that has a stocky body with broad shoulders and long arms and is less erect and has smaller ears than the chimpanzee
2
a
: an ugly or brutal man
b
: thug, goon

Examples of gorilla in a Sentence

She hired some gorilla as her bodyguard. the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to “convince” him to pay up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The five-month-old gorilla was discovered in a crate on a flight from Nigeria and was destined for Bangkok, Thailand. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025 In October 2022, Bell Limbrick informed Bohn that fans outside of the Coliseum had put a jersey of Trojans wide receiver Mario Williams on a gorilla and the image had appeared on the game’s broadcast. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Recent research has indicated that tool use may have very deep roots among hominoids—the group of primates that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons, bonobos and humans. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025 The gorillas also eat three other plants that are utilized in local medicine, although the antibacterial properties of the tree bark itself may explain why gorillas here can harbor E. coli bacteria without any symptoms. Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gorilla 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek Gorillai, plural, a tribe of hairy women mentioned in an account of a voyage around Africa

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gorilla was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near gorilla

Cite this Entry

“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gorilla. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

gorilla

noun
go·​ril·​la gə-ˈril-ə How to pronounce gorilla (audio)
: a typically black ape of equatorial Africa that is much larger but stands less erect than the related chimpanzee
Etymology

derived from Greek Gorillai, a name used by ancient explorers for what they thought was a tribe of hairy women in Africa

More from Merriam-Webster on gorilla

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