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.
Among the takeaways from columnist Callum Borchers’s conversations with women who make at least $775,000 a year: Thick skin is overrated and impostor syndrome isn’t always bad.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Full-blown impostor syndrome can be crippling, and we miss opportunities to grow if we see every criticism as an affront.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
I stayed silent in that group for days, convinced someone would realize I was an impostor.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
His said his new position gave him a feeling of impostor syndrome.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
“We will have none of that,” the impostor Leanna North said.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
