jackanapes

5 synonyms for jackanapes, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A name once used for an ape or monkey, particularly a tame animal kept to amuse people or as a pet.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

lightweight brat

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

whippersnapper malapert minx

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A name once used for an ape or monkey, particularly a tame animal kept to amuse people or as a pet.

whippersnapper lightweight

2. noun

(humorous) A cheeky or badly behaved person, especially a mischievous child.

“Who were the aristocracy, to give themselves airs? Jackanapes!”

malapert brat minx

Etymology

From Middle English iack napys, iac nape, iac napes (“derogatory nickname of the English military commander and statesman William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1396–1450)”), probably from Jacun or Jakin (“pet forms of the male name Jack”) + ape (“ape, monkey”) + -s (possibly modelled after surnames such as Hobbes an...

Full origin of jackanapes →

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lightweight brat whippersnapper minx malapert

Nearby words

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