copycat

1 of 2

noun

copy·​cat ˈkä-pē-ˌkat How to pronounce copycat (audio)
often attributive
1
: one who imitates or adopts the behavior or practices of another
2
: an imitative act or product
copycat board games

copycat

2 of 2

verb

copycatted; copycatting

intransitive verb

: to act as a copycat

Examples of copycat in a Sentence

Noun She called me a copycat for wearing the same dress. every rock singer who makes it big soon has a whole cluster of copycats Verb asked her stylist to copycat a hairstyle from the magazine a performer who slavishly copycats another never rises to the level of true stardom
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.
Noun
Federal law normally bans pharmacies from making copycat versions of commercially available drugs. Jackie Snow, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Eli Lilly quickly started sending cease-and-desist letters to companies selling copycat versions. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
North Korea famously hacked the pharmaceutical company Pfizer in an attempt to steal its COVID-19 vaccine technology, and Chinese exfiltrations of U.S. defense industrial base research has led to copycat technological advances in aircraft and missile development. Jacquelyn Schneider, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021 And that applies to fashion design, decor, and even to the travel industry, where there’s a real tendency to copycat successful ideas. Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 20 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for copycat 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1926, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of copycat was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near copycat

Cite this Entry

“Copycat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copycat. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

copycat

noun
copy·​cat
ˈkäp-ē-ˌkat
: one who imitates or adopts the behavior or practices of another
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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