What does apish mean?
Apish is an adjective describing behavior that resembles that of an ape — most often foolish, slavish, or exaggerated imitation of another person. When someone is called apish, the implication is not merely that they copy others, but that they do so in a clumsy, undignified, or obsequious way that invites ridicule. The word can also describe physical grimaces, gestures, or antics that seem grotesquely simian. Apish entered English in the late sixteenth century, formed simply from the noun ape plus the suffix -ish, and it appears frequently in Elizabethan and Jacobean literature, where Shakespeare and his contemporaries used it to satirize sycophants and social climbers. Today it survives mainly in literary and formal contexts, retaining its biting connotation: to be apish is to lack originality and dignity alike. Related forms include the adverb apishly.
adjectiveResembling or characteristic of an ape or monkey, especially in being foolishly imitative or silly. Used to describe behavior that is absurdly imitative or clownishly ridiculous.
- Foolishly imitative; copying another's mannerisms in a silly or servile way.
- Resembling an ape or monkey in appearance or behavior; grotesque or clownish.
"His apish attempts to mimic the professor's accent only made the class laugh at him."
"The courtier's apish flattery of the king fooled no one at court."
"She gave an apish grimace behind his back, imitating his pompous walk."
Shakespeare used 'apish' to mock courtly flatterers — calling someone an ape has been an insult for over four centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apish
Apish derives from the Middle English noun 'ape', meaning the animal, combined with the adjectival suffix '-ish'. The word emerged in English in the late sixteenth century, during a period when comparing people to apes was a common rhetorical device for mocking mindless imitation. Its root traces back through Old English 'apa' to Germanic origins, making 'ape' itself one of its closest cognates alongside other Germanic forms such as Dutch 'aap' and German 'Affe'.
Related word forms
How apish is actually used
Somewhat literary and dated in register today; carries a strongly negative connotation of servile or ridiculous imitation. Rarely used in everyday modern speech but still found in literary criticism and historical writing.
Easily confused with apish
Simian is a neutral scientific term relating to apes and monkeys, whereas apish specifically implies foolish or absurd imitative behavior.