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# imitate

verb (imitate, imitates, imitated, imitating)

«imitate» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To copy the way someone speaks, moves or behaves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#m1)
2. To make something look or sound like something else. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#m2)
3. To follow someone as an example: «imitate your heroes». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#m3)

### In the lessons

In school, young children learn by imitating adults; in music and drama pupils imitate sounds. In nature some animals imitate others to stay safe (mimicry). In church life Christians try to imitate Jesus. Phrases: imitate a voice, imitate a sound, try to imitate.

### Examples

- Parrots can imitate human voices. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x1)
- My brother imitates the teacher's voice to make us laugh. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x2)
- Young children imitate what they see adults do. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x3)
- Some harmless flies imitate wasps to scare off birds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x4)
- The clarinet imitates the cuckoo in this piece of music. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x5)
- Christians try to imitate Jesus in kindness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x6)
- "How should I?" I replied, resolved to imitate the princess in her fidelity. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/#x7)

### Note

Noun: imitation, imitator. Similar: copy, mimic. Imitating to mock someone can be unkind.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «imitate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imitate/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«imitate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/imitate.html) on Mova free.