View synonyms for copycat

copycat

[ kop-ee-kat ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a person or thing that copies, imitates, mimics, or follows the lead of another, as a child who says or does exactly the same as another child.

, cop·y·cat·ted, cop·y·cat·ting.

to imitate or mimic:
new domestic wines that copycat the expensive imports.
to copy slavishly; reproduce:
The clothes were copycatted straight from designer originals.

copycat

/ ˈkɒpɪˌkæt /

informal.
1. a person, esp a child, who imitates or copies another
2. ( as modifier )
  copycat murders

Origin of copycat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; copy + cat ( def )

Here are some quick tips to hold your own: Avoid playing copycat.

The theory of copycat suicides—fueled by media coverage—has long been studied in academic circles.

One thing The O.C. started is all the copycat shows, from The Real Housewives of Orange County to Laguna Beach.

Perfectly likable and watchable—it is a House copycat starring Greg Kinnear, after all—but not exactly the most inventive TV.

China has no homegrown Apples or Microsofts, they say, because it is just a copycat nation.

April 25, 2024firkin

[fur-kin ]

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