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monkey on one's back

mon·key
M m

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [muhng-kee]
    • /ˈmʌŋ ki ɒn, ɔn wʌnz bæk/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [muhng-kee]
    • /ˈmʌŋ ki ɒn, ɔn wʌnz bæk/

Definitions of monkey on one's back words

  • noun plural monkey on one's back any mammal of the order Primates, including the guenons, macaques, langurs, and capuchins, but excluding humans, the anthropoid apes, and, usually, the tarsier and prosimians. Compare New World monkey, Old World monkey. 1
  • noun plural monkey on one's back the fur of certain species of such long-haired animals. 1
  • noun plural monkey on one's back a person likened to such an animal, as a mischievous, agile child or a mimic. 1
  • noun plural monkey on one's back a dance, deriving from the twist, in which the partners move their hands as if climbing a pole and jerk their heads back and forth. 1
  • noun plural monkey on one's back Slang. an addiction to narcotics. 1
  • noun plural monkey on one's back any of various mechanical devices, as the ram of a pile driver. 1
See all 14 definitions of monkey on one's back

Information block about the term

Origin of monkey on one's back

First appearance:

before 1520
One of the 28% oldest English words
1520-30; apparently < Low German; compare Middle Low German Moneke (name of son of Martin the Ape in the story of Reynard), equivalent to mone- (akin to obsolete French monne she-ape, Spanish, Portuguese mono ape) + -ke diminutive suffix

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Monkey on one's back

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Monkey on one's back

monkey on one's back popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Synonyms for monkey on one's back

noun monkey on one's back

  • load — anything put in or on something for conveyance or transportation; freight; cargo: The truck carried a load of watermelons.
  • duty — something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.
  • albatross — An albatross is a very large white seabird.
  • weight — the amount or quantity of heaviness or mass; amount a thing weighs.
  • saddle — a seat for a rider on the back of a horse or other animal.
All 17 Synonyms of monkey on one's back

Antonyms for monkey on one's back

noun monkey on one's back

  • advantage — An advantage is something that puts you in a better position than other people.
  • aid — Aid is money, equipment, or services that are provided for people, countries, or organizations who need them but cannot provide them for themselves.
  • assistance — If you give someone assistance, you help them do a job or task by doing part of the work for them.
  • benefit — The benefit of something is the help that you get from it or the advantage that results from it.
  • irresponsibility — said, done, or characterized by a lack of a sense of responsibility: His refusal to work shows him to be completely irresponsible.
All 8 Antonyms of monkey on one's back

See also

Matching words

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