copycat
/kɑpiˈkæt/noun, adjective, verb
copycat is spelled C-O-P-Y-C-A-T: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a derogatory noun, copycat means “One who imitates or plagiarizes the work of others” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of copycat is copycats.
How many letters and syllables are in copycat?
| Letters | 7: C-O-P-Y-C-A-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,974th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is copycat?
Copycat appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce copycat?
- US /kɑpiˈkæt/
Copycat has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-copycat.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with copycat
Also written: copy-cat (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with copycat?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as copycat from its last stressed vowel (/æt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of copycat
- copycats plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- copy cat
- copy-cat
- more copycat comparative
- most copycat superlative
- copycatting participle, present
- copycatted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does copycat mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
derogatoryinformalOne who imitates or plagiarizes the work of others.
- 2
A criminal who imitates the crimes of another; specifically, a criminal who commits the same crime, especially a highly-publicized one, that has recently been committed by someone else.
a copycat strangler
adjective
- 1
Imitative; unoriginal.
copycat crime
verb
- 1
To act as a copycat; to copy in a shameless or derivative way.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Copycat in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | copycat, imitateur, copieur, faussaire |
| German | Nachahmer, Nachäffer, Nachmacher, Imitator , abklatschen, abkupfern |
| Portuguese | copião, copiona, imitador, imitadora |
| Spanish | copión, copiona, copiota |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does copycat come from?
Originally American English, from copy + cat (“a former derogatory term for a person”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).