imitate
gb/ˈɪmətˌeɪt/ us/ˈɪmətˌeɪt/
B1
Inglés
~ 6400
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B1
action
1
copy someone’s actions or behavior
To act or do something in the same way as another person or thing.
Patrón de uso:
to imitate [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"imitate like"* (e.g., *"Children imitate like their parents"*). Use *imitate* directly with an object: *"Children imitate their parents."* Another confusion is with *follow*: *"follow"* means to go after or accept someone's ideas, while *imitate* means to copy actions or behavior.
Sinónimos
copy (Most general and common word; focuses on doing the same thing without suggesting respect or a goal of improvement.)
|
emulate (More formal; often suggests copying in order to be as good as or better than someone admired.)
Antónimos
innovate (Emphasizes creating something new or different instead of doing what someone else does.)
Colocaciones
imitate someone's behavior
|imitate a role model
|imitate a parent
|imitate real life
|try to imitate
|difficult to imitate
Temas
social
|education
|daily-life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Children often imitate their parents without even realizing it.
- New employees tend to imitate the working style of their team.
- He tried to imitate his coach's calm attitude under pressure.
- Many startups imitate the business models of successful tech companies.
- She imitates the habits of people she admires in order to grow.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Small children imitate what they see on TV.
- I try to imitate my teacher because she is very kind.
- Animals can imitate each other to learn new things.
- He imitates his older brother in almost everything.
- The students imitate the way the expert solves the problem.
Verbo
B1
action
2
mimic someone’s voice or manner
To speak or move like another person so that people feel you are that person, often to be funny.
Patrón de uso:
to imitate [someone] / to imitate [someone]'s voice
Error frecuente:
Learners may use *copy* instead of *imitate* in performance contexts (e.g., *"He copies his teacher's voice"*). While understandable, *imitate* or *mimic* sound more natural when talking about voice, accent, or funny behavior.
Sinónimos
mimic (Very close in meaning; often slightly more informal and strongly associated with imitating voice or movements for comedy.)
|
impersonate (Often used when someone pretends to be another specific person, especially a famous person; can be playful or serious.)
Antónimos
be yourself (A phrase rather than a single word; stresses not trying to sound or act like someone else.)
Colocaciones
imitate someone's voice
|imitate someone's accent
|imitate someone's mannerisms
|imitate animal sounds
|imitate a character
|do an imitation of [someone]
Temas
communication
|entertainment
|social
|arts_entertainment
Ejemplos
- She can imitate her boss's voice so perfectly that the whole office laughs.
- The actor imitated several famous politicians during his stand‑up show.
- He likes to imitate animal noises to entertain the children.
- Teenagers sometimes imitate their favorite celebrities' way of speaking.
- The parrot could imitate the sound of the phone ringing.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He can imitate his teacher's voice very well.
- The boy imitates the way his father walks.
- My friend likes to imitate movie stars and make us laugh.
- The bird can imitate many different sounds.
- She imitates her sister when she is joking.
Verbo
B2
action
3
make something that looks like another
To make a thing that is made to be almost the same as another thing.
Patrón de uso:
to imitate [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"fake"* when they mean *imitate* in neutral or positive contexts. *Fake* often has a negative feeling (dishonest, not real), while *imitate* can be neutral or technical, especially for materials and products.
Sinónimos
simulate (Often more technical; used about machines or systems that reproduce conditions or behavior, not only physical appearance.)
|
replicate (Focuses on making an exact or very close copy, often in scientific or technical contexts.)
Antónimos
differentiate (To make something clearly different rather than making it look or feel like something else.)
Colocaciones
imitate leather
|imitate wood
|imitate natural flavors
|imitate the look of [something]
|imitate real stone
|technology that imitates nature
Temas
products
|science
|art
|business
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- The fabric is designed to imitate real leather at a lower cost.
- Scientists are developing materials that imitate spider silk.
- Artificial sweeteners are made to imitate the taste of sugar.
- The new tiles imitate natural stone so well that you can hardly tell the difference.
- This paint can imitate the effect of aged wood on any surface.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- This cheap jacket imitates real leather.
- The toy animals imitate real animals very well.
- The company makes butter that imitates the taste of cheese.
- The robot dog imitates the movements of a real dog.
- These flowers are plastic, but they imitate real flowers.
Verbo
B2
action
4
copy another’s artistic style
To make art, music, or writing in a way that is very close to the style of another artist.
Patrón de uso:
to imitate [someone]'s style / to imitate the style of [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use *copy* in a way that sounds like illegal or dishonest copying when they mean respectful stylistic influence. *Imitate someone's style* can be neutral or even positive in art, while *copy someone's work* often suggests cheating or stealing.
Sinónimos
pastich (Usually used as a noun (*pastiche*); refers to a work that imitates another style, often playfully.)
|
borrow (Less strong than *imitate*; suggests taking some elements of another style rather than closely following it.)
Antónimos
innovate (Stresses creating a new style instead of following an existing one.)
Colocaciones
imitate an artist's style
|imitate classical painters
|imitate the style of [someone]
|imitate traditional techniques
|imitate a famous composer
|imitate old masters
Temas
art
|literature
|music
|arts_entertainment
|education
Ejemplos
- Early in his career, he imitated the style of Impressionist painters.
- The new restaurant imitates the design of a 1920s Parisian café.
- Young writers often imitate their favorite authors before finding their own voice.
- The composer was accused of imitating film soundtracks from the 1980s.
- Her work imitates traditional Japanese prints but adds modern themes.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He tries to imitate the style of Picasso.
- Many new bands imitate the sound of old rock groups.
- At first, she imitated her teacher's painting style.
- The film imitates the look of old black‑and‑white movies.
- The designer imitates classic styles in his new clothes.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
imitate
AFI
GB/ˈɪmətˌeɪt/
US/ˈɪmətˌeɪt/
Sílabas y acento
im - it - ate (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (im)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: imitate
- 3rd Person Singular: imitates
- Present Participle: imitating
- Past: imitated
Familia de palabras
Forms
imitates
verb
imitating
verb
imitated
verb
Core family
imitation
noun B1
imitator
noun
Related words
imitative
adjective
Advanced or less common
inimitable
adjective
Expresiones
Todavía no hay expresiones vinculadas a esta entrada.