imitate vs follow

imitate and follow both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
imitate	No	No	Yes	No
follow	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, follow is a hyponym of imitate; that is, follow is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than imitate:

Other hyponyms of imitate include conform to, mock, take off, mime, mimic, model, pattern, take after, emulate.

imitate (verb)	follow (verb)
reproduce someone's behavior or looks	behave in accordance or in agreement with
make a reproduction or copy of	keep informed
appear like, as in behavior or appearance	keep to
	follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
	grasp the meaning
	imitate in behavior; take as a model
	perform an accompaniment to
	to travel behind, go after, come after
	travel along a certain course
	follow in or as if in pursuit
	keep under surveillance
	choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
	to subscribe to someone's updates on social media
	to be subscribed to updates from another user on social media
	act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes
	be the successor (of)
	follow with the eyes or the mind
	work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function
	accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of
	adhere to or practice
	be later in time
	come after in time, as a result
	be next
	to bring something about at a later time than
	to be the product or result
	come as a logical consequence; follow logically