1
: mime sense 2
She's a talented mimic.
2
: one that mimics
mimicked
ˈmi-mikt 
; mimicking
; mimicking
Synonyms
Examples of mimic in a Sentence
Noun
a gifted mimic who can do a terrific imitation of anyone's voice
a mimic in black clothes and white facial makeup
Adjective
police were concerned that the mimic gun, although intended only as a toy, might be confused with the real thing in certain situations
a mimic battle fought by kids playing around in the schoolyard
Verb
The lamp mimics natural sunlight.
a butterfly that mimics a leaf
Recent Examples on the Web
EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Large language models are famously good mimics, and campaigns can use them to instantaneously compose messages in a community’s specific vernacular.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2024
While our Janis, Damien and Regina pop off the screen, the other characters are either bizarre mimics of their original counterparts or completely new takes.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Or Dylan, who looks out of sorts and a bit nervous throughout, having no idea how to sing his solo line, and getting help from Stevie Wonder, who was a great mimic and literally sings it for him as Bob Dylan would; and that’s how Dylan sang it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
Lowering costs associated with generative AI technology capable of creating somewhat convincing mimics of celebrities’ voices can make these scams even more convincing.
—Popular Science, 10 Jan. 2024
Further study is needed to tease out exactly what makes for a successful poo mimic—perhaps there’s a maximum size for a convincing simulated splat or an ideal ratio of white spots to background color.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 13 Dec. 2023
The pharmacological mimics of GLP-1 can also have these effects in the body.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
This has led to the development of chemical mimics of GLP-1, like semaglutide.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Or a cautionary tale, a mimic man whom Western letters seduced, then rejected and disgraced?
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
Humans find visual solace in patterns, after all: our brains are hardwired to detect them, especially those that mimic ones found in nature.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
The rise of generative AI has created tools that more closely mimic patient care.
—Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
And instead of conducting an underwater band, Sebastian (played by Daveed Diggs) now kicks off a massive dance party, complete with toe-tapping sea turtles, spinning mimic octopuses, waving flatworms and ascending luminescent jellyfish.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023
Instead of masquerading as a dangerous creature, an aggressive mimic poses as one that’s benign.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
ChatGPT was unveiled to the public in November and was quickly taken up by millions of users impressed with its ability to clearly answer difficult questions, mimic writing styles, write sonnets and papers and even pass exams.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023
Lead can get into the brain, mimic calcium in these calcium-binding domains and cause aberrant protein activity as a result.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Nov. 2021
Rob Stein, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Researchers also noted that pets may mimic their owners’ reactions to the reduced sunlight.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Symptoms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension PAH can be difficult to diagnose because early signs mimic other diseases.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
The showpiece here is the 85-foot indoor lap pool, set in an underground chamber with lighting designed to mimic daylight.
—Stacey Wreathall, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Sometimes girls may not fit the criteria of autism, and girls tend to be better able to mask symptoms by mimicking friends' behaviors.
—Michael George, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2024
There’s an earlier scene in the movie where Margaret’s having a night terror or vision, and this voice comes in and starts parroting her and mimicking her or speaking alongside her.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
But last month again, Tony’s found itself in the crosshairs of Mondelez in Germany and Austria for mimicking their packaging in one of their ad campaigns.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 30 Mar. 2024
This means a potential intercept, where the device is knocked off its usual carrier onto a high-powered and less secure local radio network mimicking the cellular carrier.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
Todd is a remarkable mimic of Bela Lugosi and brings humanity and soulfulness and depth to it.
—EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Large language models are famously good mimics, and campaigns can use them to instantaneously compose messages in a community’s specific vernacular.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2024
While our Janis, Damien and Regina pop off the screen, the other characters are either bizarre mimics of their original counterparts or completely new takes.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Or Dylan, who looks out of sorts and a bit nervous throughout, having no idea how to sing his solo line, and getting help from Stevie Wonder, who was a great mimic and literally sings it for him as Bob Dylan would; and that’s how Dylan sang it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
Lowering costs associated with generative AI technology capable of creating somewhat convincing mimics of celebrities’ voices can make these scams even more convincing.
—Popular Science, 10 Jan. 2024
Further study is needed to tease out exactly what makes for a successful poo mimic—perhaps there’s a maximum size for a convincing simulated splat or an ideal ratio of white spots to background color.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 13 Dec. 2023
The pharmacological mimics of GLP-1 can also have these effects in the body.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
This has led to the development of chemical mimics of GLP-1, like semaglutide.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Adjective
For most of the world, the virus went its way, mutating cleverly, with the weird mimic intelligence of microorganisms.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Or a cautionary tale, a mimic man whom Western letters seduced, then rejected and disgraced?
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
Humans find visual solace in patterns, after all: our brains are hardwired to detect them, especially those that mimic ones found in nature.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
The rise of generative AI has created tools that more closely mimic patient care.
—Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
And instead of conducting an underwater band, Sebastian (played by Daveed Diggs) now kicks off a massive dance party, complete with toe-tapping sea turtles, spinning mimic octopuses, waving flatworms and ascending luminescent jellyfish.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023
Instead of masquerading as a dangerous creature, an aggressive mimic poses as one that’s benign.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
ChatGPT was unveiled to the public in November and was quickly taken up by millions of users impressed with its ability to clearly answer difficult questions, mimic writing styles, write sonnets and papers and even pass exams.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023
Lead can get into the brain, mimic calcium in these calcium-binding domains and cause aberrant protein activity as a result.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Nov. 2021
Verb
His colleagues fill the bag with a clear, warm liquid meant to mimic amniotic fluid and seal the artificial womb.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Researchers also noted that pets may mimic their owners’ reactions to the reduced sunlight.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Symptoms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension PAH can be difficult to diagnose because early signs mimic other diseases.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
The showpiece here is the 85-foot indoor lap pool, set in an underground chamber with lighting designed to mimic daylight.
—Stacey Wreathall, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Sometimes girls may not fit the criteria of autism, and girls tend to be better able to mask symptoms by mimicking friends' behaviors.
—Michael George, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2024
There’s an earlier scene in the movie where Margaret’s having a night terror or vision, and this voice comes in and starts parroting her and mimicking her or speaking alongside her.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
But last month again, Tony’s found itself in the crosshairs of Mondelez in Germany and Austria for mimicking their packaging in one of their ad campaigns.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 30 Mar. 2024
This means a potential intercept, where the device is knocked off its usual carrier onto a high-powered and less secure local radio network mimicking the cellular carrier.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mimic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near mimic
Cite this Entry
“Mimic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mimic. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
Medical Definition
mimic
2 of 2 transitive verb
mimicked
-ikt
; mimicking
; mimicking
: to imitate or resemble closely: as
a
: to imitate the symptoms of
an acute inflammatory process located in the ileocecal region mimics acute appendicitis—Merck Manual
Merck Manual
b
: to produce an effect and especially a physiological effect similar to
chemically unrelated to the hormone that it mimics—Chemical & Engineering News
Chemical & Engineering News
More from Merriam-Webster on mimic
Nglish: Translation of mimic for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of mimic for Arabic Speakers
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