doppelgänger

American  

[dop-uhl-gang-er, daw-puhl-geng-er] / ˈdɒp əlˌgæŋ ər, ˈdɔ pəlˌgɛŋ ər /

Or Doppelgänger

noun

• doppelgängers
  plural

1. a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.

---

doppelgänger British  

/ ˈdɒpəlˌɡɛŋə, ˈdɔpəlˌɡɛŋər /

noun

1. legend a ghostly duplicate of a living person

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• doppelgängers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of doppelgänger

First recorded in 1850–55; from German: literally, “double-walker,” from doppel double ( def. ) + Gänger “walker” (from Gang “motion, way” + -er -er ¹ ( def. ); cf. gang ¹ ( def. ))

Explanation

Someone who looks spookily like you, but isn't a twin, is a doppelganger. Originally, this was a type of ghost. The word doppelganger is German and literally means double walker — as in a ghost or shadow of yourself. An easy way to remember it is that doppelganger sounds like double, as in "That movie star is my double. We look so much alike." These days, most people don't refer to the ghost meaning when talking about doppelgangers: they just mean someone who looks a lot like you or could be your twin. Still, that is pretty spooky.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

doppelgänger doppelgängers

The Quaker chaplain usually posts about religion on social media, but said people would comment on her posts describing her as the Labour leader's doppelgänger.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Thanks to his digital doppelgänger, “I am accomplishing so much more that I couldn’t have accomplished before,” says Hoffman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Stressed about the impossibility of work-life balance, a Mexican American music video director hires a doppelgänger in this film, which premiered at Sundance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025

On that cold rainy day, Zendaya doppelgänger Zainab Bansfield took home the coveted $40 prize, hair care products and bragging rights.

From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024

Willem is the Dutch version of William, just like his American movie star doppelgänger.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

A pair of women, seeming doppelgängers of Ari’s roommate and a second guest, suddenly appear; as inexplicably, the host vanishes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The @PopCrave X account shared staged red carpet footage of the celebrity doppelgängers from his video shouting his praises as if it were real.

From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024

Heather Tal Murphy runs down four concrete ways A.I. doppelgängers of real people are already being used on screen.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2023

Others praise her performance in the film and poke fun at her many doppelgängers.

From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2023

The same players, or their doppelgängers; the same pictured nymphs smiling on the ornate walls.

From The Princess Passes by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson