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Synonyms

impersonator

American  
[im-pur-suh-ney-ter] / ɪmˈpɜr səˌneɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person who pretends to be another.

  2. an actor who impersonates specific persons or types of persons as a form of entertainment.

  3. female impersonator.

Etymology

Origin of impersonator

First recorded in 1850–55; impersonate + -or 2

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.

In a recent video, the sunglass-wearing Castro interacts with a Trump impersonator, who tells him he wants to buy Cuba.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

“People today love to connect with the villain,” said the viral Grinch impersonator.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

And no impersonator, however convincing the outfit, will do.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Rossi was the name of his stepfather, who at the time was a popular Engelbert Humperdinck impersonator in Rhode Island.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025

At first the students thought he was a celebrity impersonator.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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.