Pronunciation

/ˈmʌŋki/

Definitions

• Noun: A small to medium-sized primate with a long tail, typically having a hairy, agile body and limbs, and often characterized by a pointed face and large eyes. For example: “The zoo had several species of monkeys swinging from tree to tree.”

  • As a colloquialism: A mischievous or playful person. Example: “He’s such a little monkey, always getting into things he shouldn’t.”

• Verb (informal): To mimic or imitate someone, usually in a mocking or playful manner. Example: “The kids were monkeying around, copying each other’s dance moves.”

Phrases

• “Monkey business”: Mischievous or deceitful activity, especially when undertaken playfully or unseriously. Example: “There was some monkey business going on behind the scenes.”
• “Monkey around”: To behave in a mischievous, playful, or unproductive manner. Example: “The children were warned not to monkey around near the pond.”
• “Monkey see, monkey do”: This phrase suggests that people tend to imitate others without thinking, just like monkeys. Example: “Young children often learn behaviors through monkey see, monkey do.”

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The capuchin monkey displayed its intelligence by using tools to extract food from a crevice.”
• Verb: “When they were left unsupervised, the kids couldn’t resist monkeying around with the new toys.”

Synonyms

• Primate
• Gibbon
• Chimpanzee
• Baboon (depending on context)
• Imp (as a colloquialism for a mischievous person)
• Trickster (also in a colloquial sense)