impostor
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of impostor
1580–90; < Late Latin, equivalent to Latin impos ( i )-, variant stem of impōnere to deceive, place on ( see impone) + -tor -tor
Vocabulary lists containing impostor
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 3
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"The Millionaire Miser"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She says one man felt embarrassed after exchanging more than 20 emails with an impostor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
I stayed silent in that group for days, convinced someone would realize I was an impostor.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
“That little flicker—it can plant itself in you and blossom into self-doubt, impostor syndrome,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
With every impostor removed from your life, more space is created for your person to move in.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
His face was as mild and hopeless as ever; mooning above the snappy, rigid blouse, it gave him the air of an impostor.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
