Mime vs. mimic: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Mime is a performance art involving silent gestures, while mimic refers more broadly to the action of imitating someone or something.
What they have in common
Both words are related to imitation and involve mimicking actions or expressions.
Examples
mime
- The mime artist entertained the crowd with his silent performance.
- She studied mime to enhance her acting skills.
mimic
- Parrots can mimic human speech quite effectively.
- He tried to mimic his teacher’s accent to make the class laugh.
Which one is more common?
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