gorilla

American  

[guh-ril-uh] / gəˈrɪl ə /

noun

1. a terrestrial, largely vegetarian great ape of the genus Gorilla , inhabiting central African forests: possessing great upper body strength, with arms longer and more muscular than its legs, it is noted for its knuckle-walking and is larger than any other living primate.

2. an ugly, brutish person.

3. Slang. a hoodlum or thug, especially one who threatens or inflicts violence.

   Like any mob boss, he sent his gorillas to do the dirty work.

4. Disparaging and Offensive. (used as a slur against a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, especially a Black person.)

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gorilla British  

/ ɡəˈrɪlə, ɡəˈrɪlaɪn /

noun

1. the largest anthropoid ape, Gorilla gorilla, inhabiting the forests of central W Africa. It is stocky and massive, with a short muzzle and coarse dark hair

2. informal a large, strong, and brutal-looking man

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Sensitive Note

See simianization.

Other Word Forms

• gorilla-like adjective
• gorillalike adjective
• gorillian adjective
• gorilline adjective
• gorilloid adjective

Etymology

Origin of gorilla

First recorded in 1845–50; from New Latin, from Greek Goríllās (accusative plural) name for the females of a hairy tribe encountered in an account of a voyage along the coast of Africa made by the Carthaginian Hanno in the 5th century b.c.

Explanation

A gorilla is the world's largest primate — the kind of great, powerful ape you might see on an African safari. The stocky, large-headed gorilla is one of the most impressive animals you'll come across in the primate area of a zoo. Gorillas are vegetarians whose native habitat is the forest of central west Africa. The word gorilla is sometimes also used to refer to a big, aggressive man. It was first coined in the 19th century by a United States missionary to Africa, from the Greek word gorillai — the word Carthaginian explorer Hanno used to mean "wild, hairy people" in 500 B.C.E.

Example Sentences

But it’s not an easy decision, Suk added, because Meta “is the 800-pound gorilla in the room” when it comes to online advertising.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

By every account this risk is greater for Netflix, which is already the 900-pound gorilla of streaming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

BlackRock has long been the 800-pound gorilla of the ETF industry, with more than $5 trillion in assets.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Twin births are thought to account for about 1% of all mountain gorilla births, though exact data is not widely available.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

When he went skiing during family vacations in Colorado, he seldom bothered to turn; he’d simply crouch in a gorilla tuck, feet spread wide for stability, and point the boards straight down the hill.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• assassin
• bandit
• bully
• criminal
• gangster
• goon
• gunman
• hooligan
• mobster
• murderer
• rowdy
• troublemaker