impostor

or im·post·er

[ im-pos-ter ]

noun

1. a person who practices deception under an assumed character, identity, or name.

impostor

/ ɪmˈpɒstə /

noun

1. a person who deceives others, esp by assuming a false identity; charlatan

Word History and Origins

Origin of impostor¹

1580–90; < Late Latin, equivalent to Latin impos ( i )-, variant stem of impōnere to deceive, place on ( impone ) + -tor -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of impostor¹

C16: from Late Latin: deceiver; see impose

Example Sentences

Even the most seasoned SEO professionals admit they’ve felt the pain of impostor syndrome.

From Search Engine Watch

For instance, we might mistake social anxiety as evidence that everyone dislikes us or believe performance anxiety means we’re actually impostors.

From Time

If you’re feeling like an impostor because your peers make you feel like one, I want you to know that that’s on them, not you.

From Outside Online

Scammers are known to create cons based on current events, but this scheme — calling families grieving after losing a loved one to covid — is a despicable twist on the typical government impostor scam.

From Washington Post

If my family sees me emptying the top rack first, willingly, they will know I have been replaced by an impostor.

From Washington Post

Friends trying to contact me reported corresponding with an impostor named Krystal.

From The Daily Beast

Baseball manager Tony LaRussa tried to sue Twitter over a vulgar impostor account.

From The Daily Beast

Celebrities, corporations, and politicians have impostor Twitter accounts pop up all the time.

From The Daily Beast

Finally, my impostor account was gone, deleted by Twitter with no fanfare.

From The Daily Beast

By the time I discovered I had an impostor, “monkey boy” had been actively tweeting for weeks.

From The Daily Beast

In 1851 she visited Birmingham and was a welcome guest until "someone blundered" and charged her with being an impostor.

From Project Gutenberg

Had this stupendous miracle no effect upon the Jewish priests who had crucified Christ as an impostor?

From Project Gutenberg

Then, the sallow, black-haired knave who had last night proclaimed himself as Garnache in disguise was some impostor.

From Project Gutenberg

In this respect he will differ from all impostors; for an impostor never had power to "minister this spirit."

From Project Gutenberg

He was launched on an adventure as whimsical as tragical, if he was an impostor; and if he was not, as pathetic as droll.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• con artist
• hypocrite