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.
There are numerous instances of anxiety-prone chimps and gorillas repeatedly redigesting their food and eating their own feces. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025 Unlike the chimpanzees and gorillas passively consuming different medicinal plants, this is the first time any animal has been seen treating a wound directly with healing plants. Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024 That’s nowhere clearer than in the climactic final confrontation between Noa and Proximus Caesar’s brute in command, an imposing gorilla named Sylva (Eka Darville), which takes place within a gargantuan armory that’s flooding quickly around them. Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024 Neal Rubin used to own a gorilla suit, but has never dressed as a lion. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 12 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 27 Jan. 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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