gorilla

IPA/ɡəˈrɪlə/
KK[ɡɚˈɪlə]IPA/ɡəˈrɪlə/

gorilla — noun

  • gorillasingular
  • gorillasplural

1. the largest type of ape, with a heavy body and thick black or brown fur, that li

1.nounA2
Definition

the largest type of ape, with a heavy body and thick black or brown fur, that lives in the tropical forests of Africa and feeds mainly on plants, fruits, and leaves.

Example

The zoo's new baby gorilla, Kian, quickly became a favourite with local families.

noun as subject describing animal behaviour

Amani spent a quiet hour watching a family of gorillas in the rainforest.

Common collocations
  • mountain gorilla
  • lowland gorilla
  • silverback gorilla
  • gorilla troop
  • gorilla habitat
  • gorilla conservation
Synonyms
  • ape

    a broader category that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gibbons

  • primate

    the scientific order that includes gorillas, monkeys, apes, and humans; more general and academic

  • silverback

    specifically an adult male gorilla, not the species as a whole

Grammar Patterns

a [adjective] gorilla

gorilla + verb

Usage Note

Often used with 'mountain', 'lowland', or 'western' to specify the subspecies (e.g., 'mountain gorilla', 'western lowland gorilla'). The term 'silverback' refers to an adult male gorilla with a grey patch of fur on its back.

Common Mistakes

Gorilla's are very strong animals.
Gorillas are very strong animals.
No apostrophe needed for plural nouns.
I saw a gorilla at the zoo — it was a guerilla.
I saw a gorilla at the zoo.
'Guerilla' (spelled differently) means a rebel fighter, not the ape.

2. a man who is very large, physically strong, and has a rough or frightening appea

2.nounB2
Definition

a man who is very large, physically strong, and has a rough or frightening appearance, often used to describe someone who uses their size to intimidate others.

Example

The nightclub hired a 140-kilogram gorilla as a bouncer to keep order.

figurative use: 'hired a gorilla' for someone hired for physical presence

Ezra felt nervous when a gorilla of a man sat next to him on the subway.

pattern: 'a gorilla of a [noun]'

Common collocations
  • a gorilla of a man
  • look like a gorilla
  • built like a gorilla
Synonyms
  • hulk

    emphasises great size and heaviness; less aggressive than 'gorilla'

  • brute

    stresses violence or cruelty, not just size

  • giant

    neutral or even positive; does not imply aggression

  • bull

    suggests physical power and stubbornness, common in sports contexts

Antonyms
  • weakling

    a person lacking physical strength, the opposite of a 'gorilla'

Grammar Patterns

a gorilla of a [noun]

[number] gorilla(s)

Usage Note

Always used informally and often carries a negative or threatening tone. Unlike sense 1 (the animal), this sense is metaphorical and applies only to men. The phrase 'a gorilla of a man' is a common fixed structure.

Common Mistakes

She is a gorilla.' (for a large woman)
He is a gorilla.
This term is almost exclusively applied to men in its figurative use.

3. a person, typically working for a powerful group or organisation, who uses threa

3.nounC2
Definition

a person, typically working for a powerful group or organisation, who uses threats, violence, or intimidation to achieve their employer's goals — for example, breaking strikes, silencing opponents, or collecting debts.

Example

The company sent gorillas to threaten striking workers into returning to their jobs.

collocation: 'send gorillas' for hired intimidators

Sahil refused to be silenced when the politician's gorillas showed up at his office.

Common collocations
  • send (in) the gorillas
  • gorillas on the payroll
  • political gorillas
  • union gorillas
Synonyms
  • thug

    broader term for a violent criminal; does not necessarily imply being hired by an organisation

  • goon

    very similar to 'gorilla' in meaning; also informal and derogatory

  • enforcer

    emphasises the role of maintaining discipline or carrying out punishment within an organisation

  • strongman

    can be used politically (a leader who rules by force) but is broader in meaning

Grammar Patterns

[number] gorilla(s)

send / bring in the gorillas

Usage Note

Strongly derogatory and informal. This sense differs from sense 2 in that it emphasises the person's ROLE as a hired intimidator rather than just their physical size or appearance. Common in political and crime reporting, especially in older American English.

Common Mistakes

The bouncer was a gorilla who checked IDs.' (confusing role)
The company sent gorillas to break up the strike.
Sense 3 specifically refers to someone who uses threats or violence on behalf of an organisation, not just a large person in a security role.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Gorilla' refers specifically to the largest living primate native to African forests. 'Ape' is a broader category that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gibbons — all tailless primates with larger brains and more complex behaviour than monkeys. 'Chimpanzee' names the closest living relative to humans, smaller and more social than the gorilla, and often found in larger groups. 'Monkey' is the most general term and is often used incorrectly for apes; true monkeys are generally smaller, have tails, and belong to a different branch of the primate family. 'Primate' is the broadest scientific order, covering all monkeys, apes, lemurs, and humans. A learner might say 'I saw monkeys at the zoo' when the animals were actually gorillas — the key difference is that gorillas and other apes have no tail and are significantly larger.

ape ↗chimpanzee ↗monkey ↗primate

Common collocations

Nouns

  • gorilla habitat
  • gorilla troop
  • gorilla conservation
  • gorilla species

Phrases

  • a gorilla of a man
  • send in the gorillas
  • gorilla on the payroll

Etymology

Ancient GreekEnglish

The word 'gorilla' comes from the name 'Gorillai', which the ancient Carthaginian explorer Hanno recorded around 500 BC for a tribe of wild, hairy people he met on the coast of West Africa. When the American missionary and naturalist Thomas Staughton Savage first described the ape to Western science in 1847, he adopted 'gorilla' as the species name. The figurative use for a hired thug appeared in American English around the 1920s, influenced by the animal's reputation for strength and aggression.