Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

imitate

/ˈɪmɪteɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.29 in modern English

Syllables: im-i-tate
IPA: /ˈɪmɪteɪt/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To follow as a model or a pattern; to make a copy, counterpart or semblance of.

Example Sentences

"Another bird quickly learned to imitate the song of a canary that was mated with it, but as the parrakeet improved in the performance the canary degenerated, and came at last to mingle the other bird's harsh chitterings with its own proper music."
"A wave simulator in the tank can re-enact tsunamis and northeasters, and imitate wave conditions from midocean."
"The room was dark and cool, lit with a dim red light. “This was designed to imitate a cave,” said Rosas."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin imitātus, perfect active participle of imitor (“to copy, portray, imitate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French imiter.

Word Breakdown

Root: *h₂eym-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɪmɪteɪt/

Inflected Forms

imitates (present, singular) imitating (participle, present) imitated (participle, past) imitated (past)

Derived Forms

counterimitate imitatee misimitate overimitate unimitated unimitating

Phrases

self-imitate

Frequently Paired Words

imitation imitative imitable imitator decoy fake lie

Synonyms

ape imitate mimic simulate copy ditto echo emulate parallel match mime mirror

Antonyms

create innovate

Questions

How do you pronounce imitate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪmɪteɪt/.
What does imitate mean?: To follow as a model or a pattern; to make a copy, counterpart or semblance of.
Where does imitate come from?: Borrowed from Latin imitātus, perfect active participle of imitor (“to copy, portray, imitate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French imiter.

How to pronounce imitate

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “imitate”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɪmɪteɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “imitate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.