imitate

UK: /ˈɪmɪteɪt/ US: /ˈɪmɪˌteɪt/ ,(im′i tāt′)

Inflections of 'imitate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

imitates

v 3rd person singular

imitating

v pres p

imitated

v past

imitated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•i•tate /ˈɪmɪˌteɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -tat•ed, -tat•ing. 

1. to follow as a model or example:
   to imitate an author's style.
2. to copy the way someone speaks, acts, etc.;
   to mimic:
   My daughters imitated my scolding voice.

im•i•ta•tor, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•i•tate  (im′i tāt′), v.t., -tat•ed, -tat•ing. 

1. to follow or endeavor to follow as a model or example:
   to imitate an author's style; to imitate an older brother.
2. to mimic;
   impersonate:
   The students imitated the teacher behind her back.
3. to make a copy of;
   reproduce closely.
4. to have or assume the appearance of;
   simulate;
   resemble.

• Latin imitātus past participle of imitārī to copy, presumably a frequentative akin to the base of imāgō image
• 1525–35

im′i•ta′tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. ape, mock.
• 3. Imitate, copy, duplicate, reproduce all mean to follow or try to follow an example or pattern.
  Imitate is the general word for the idea:
  to imitate someone's handwriting, behavior.
  To copy is to make a fairly exact imitation of an original creation:
  to copy a sentence, a dress, a picture.
  To duplicate is to produce something that exactly resembles or corresponds to something else; both may be originals:
  to duplicate the terms of two contracts.
  To reproduce is to make a likeness or reconstruction of an original:
  to reproduce a 16th-century theater.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

imitate / ˈɪmɪˌteɪt/ verb (transitive)

1. to try to follow the manner, style, character, etc, of or take as a model: many writers imitated the language of Shakespeare
2. to pretend to be or to impersonate, esp for humour; mimic
3. to make a copy or reproduction of; duplicate; counterfeit

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin imitārī; see image

ˈimitable adjective

ˌimitaˈbility, ˈimitableness noun

ˈimiˌtator noun