copycat
/ˈkɒpikæt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːpikæt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkä-pē-ˌkat/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkɒp.i.kæt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑː.pi.kæt/ (ame, ipa)
copycat — noun
- copycatsingular
- copycatsplural
1. a person who repeats what another person has done, said, or created, often witho
a person who repeats what another person has done, said, or created, often without bringing any original ideas or personal style of their own.
Oliver called his younger brother a copycat for wearing the same T-shirt to school.
countable noun; used as a taunt
The singer ignored the copycats and kept making music her own way.
Kim laughed when she saw her friend wearing the same jacket and teased her for being a copycat.
Pablo refused to be a copycat, so he painted something completely different from the rest of the class.
Ananya told her little sister to stop being a copycat after she repeated every word of her phone call.
- imitator
more neutral; lacks the negative playground colouring
- mimic
can refer to playful imitation or a performer who copies voices and gestures
- plagiarist
specifically about stealing written or academic work
- original
someone who creates new ideas rather than copying others
用法筆記
Commonly used by children as a mild taunt. In news reporting, the term also refers to criminals who imitate techniques or targets from earlier incidents.
常見錯誤
2. a product or piece of work that has been deliberately created to look like or fu
a product or piece of work that has been deliberately created to look like or function like a more famous original, usually sold at a lower price.
The corner shop sells a cheap copycat of the famous chocolate bar.
collocation: cheap copycat + of
Critics said the film was nothing more than a copycat of last year's hit movie.
Haruto bought a copycat of the designer watch for a tenth of the price online.
Noa realised the handbag she bought was a cheap copycat when the strap broke on the first day.
Zola compared the copycat to the original and noticed the colours were slightly different.
- imitation
more neutral, used in formal descriptions
- knockoff
informal, strongly implies a cheaper, illegal version
- counterfeit
specifically illegal because it uses false branding
- original
the authentic first version of a product
- genuine article
the real, officially produced item
copycat — adjective
- copycatpositive
- more copycatcomparative
- most copycatsuperlative
1. describing actions, especially crimes or harmful acts, that are directly inspire
describing actions, especially crimes or harmful acts, that are directly inspired by an earlier similar event rather than being independently planned.
Police worried that the news broadcast might trigger a copycat crime.
attributive only: copycat crime / copycat attack
After the prank went viral, several copycat videos appeared online within a week.
Diego warned his friends that sharing the dangerous challenge could lead to copycat behaviour.
Freya read about a copycat attack that followed the same pattern as the first incident.
Mei-ling's school held an assembly about the risks of copycat pranks after the online trend spread.
- imitative
formal and neutral, does not carry the negative or criminal association
- derivative
negative but refers to art, ideas, or writing, not crime
- original
independently conceived, not based on a prior incident
文法句型
copycat + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun. The most common collocations are 'copycat crime', 'copycat attack', 'copycat suicide', and 'copycat killing'.
常見錯誤
2. made to resemble a well‑known or expensive product by using similar designs, col
made to resemble a well‑known or expensive product by using similar designs, colours, or materials, usually offered at a much lower price.
Lucia bought a copycat handbag from a street vendor instead of the original brand.
collocation: copycat handbag / copycat product
The company was sued for selling copycat toys that looked exactly like the popular collectibles.
Kwame found a copycat version of the video game on a discount website.
Dev returned the copycat headphones because the sound quality was terrible compared to the real ones.
Amara refused to buy copycat sneakers even though they cost half the price of the originals.
- knockoff
very similar in meaning, equally informal
- fake
broader — can describe anything that is not genuine, not just products
- counterfeit
legally precise; implies forgery of trademarks
文法句型
copycat + noun
用法筆記
Nearly interchangeable with 'knockoff' in informal contexts, but 'copycat product' has a slightly broader scope and can include digital goods such as apps or websites.
常見錯誤
copycat — verb
- copycatpresent simple I / you / we / they
- copycats3rd person singular
- copycating-ing form
- copycatedpast simple
1. to deliberately follow someone else's actions, style, or work by producing somet
to deliberately follow someone else's actions, style, or work by producing something very similar, often with the implication that the imitator lacks original ideas.
Yuki copycatted her older sister's graduation speech and gave almost the same one the next day.
transitive: copycat + [noun phrase as direct object]
The designer accused a rival brand of copycatting her latest dress collection.
Omar admitted he copycatted the answer from a classmate because he had not studied.
Eli told his little brother not to copycat every dance move he made during the video.
Shira noticed that the small bakery had copycatted the recipe for her award‑winning cake.
文法句型
copycat + noun phrase
用法筆記
The past tense 'copycatted' and present participle 'copycatting' double the 't' — a common spelling trap. This verb always carries a negative judgement; for neutral imitation use 'copy' or 'imitate'.