imitate

/ˌɪməˈteɪt/

/ˈɪmɪteɪt/

Other forms: imitated; imitating; imitates

When you imitate someone, you copy them. Youth marketers capitalize on kids' desire to imitate––tweens imitate teens, teens imitate young adults, and marketers supply the product lines to make it easy.

Humans learn by imitating others. Babies carefully watch their caregivers' lips, learning to imitate the movements they make to create language sounds. Writers often begin their careers imitating the style of older writers they admire.

Definitions of imitate

1. verb

   reproduce someone's behavior or looks
   “The mime imitated the passers-by”

   synonyms: copy, simulate

   types:

   conform to, follow

   behave in accordance or in agreement with

   mock

   imitate with mockery and derision

   take off

   mimic or imitate in an amusing or satirical manner

   mime, mimic

   imitate (a person or manner), especially for satirical effect

   model, pattern

   plan or create according to a model or models

   follow, take after

   imitate in behavior; take as a model

   emulate

   strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

   go by

   be or act in accordance with

   ape, caricature

   represent a person with comic exaggeration

   impersonate

   represent another person with comic intentions

   burlesque, parody, spoof

   make a parody of

   scale

   pattern, make, regulate, set, measure, or estimate according to some rate or standard

   sovietise, sovietize

   model a country's social, political, and economic structure on the Soviet Union

   type of:

   reproduce

   make a copy or equivalent of
2. verb

   appear like, as in behavior or appearance
   types:

   ape

   imitate uncritically and in every aspect

   emulate

   imitate the function of (another system), as by modifying the hardware or the software

   type of:

   resemble

   appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
3. verb

   make a reproduction or copy of
   type of:

   copy, re-create

   make a replica of