Definition of MONKEY (original) (raw)
1
: a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers
especially : any of the smaller longer-tailed catarrhine or platyrrhine primates as contrasted with the apes
2
a
: a person resembling a monkey
b
: a ludicrous figure : dupe —often used in the phrase make a monkey out of
I'm not going to let that salesman make a monkey out of me!
3
: any of various machines, implements, or vessels
especially : the falling weight of a pile driver
4
: a desperate desire for or addiction to drugs —often used in the phrase monkey on one's back
broadly : a persistent or annoying encumbrance or problem
1
: to act in a grotesque or mischievous manner
2
a
: fool, trifle —often used with around
he likes to monkey around with engines
b
: tamper —usually used with with
don't monkey with the settings
Synonyms of monkey
Examples of monkey in a Sentence
Noun
He's quite a cheeky little monkey, isn't he? I've got this monkey on my back, and going to detox is the only way to get it off. Verb
stop monkeying around in the house or you'll break something would rather just monkey around instead of doing work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In addition to sloths and monkeys, Parque de Aventura is home to wild cats, anteaters, armadillos, and a variety of birds. —
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026 Animal rights activists are questioning the University of California, Davis, after potentially preventable fights among monkeys kept at the California National Primate Research Center were highlighted in a routine federal inspection report. —Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
With supply running low toward the end of most evenings, savvy bun fanatics don’t monkey around, routinely calling ahead to request an extra skillet of rolls set aside just for them. —Valerie Demicheva and Flora Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 July 2021 But this experiment isn't about monkeying around—this a real security and safety hazard, the researchers point out in a new paper. —Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 31 Jan. 2020 See All Example Sentences for monkey
Word History
Etymology
Noun
probably of Low German origin; akin to Moneke, name of an ape, probably of Romance origin; akin to Old Spanish mona monkey
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1658, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of monkey was circa 1530
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Monkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkey. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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