impostor
Americannoun
-
impostors
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Her crippling impostor syndrome was a feature, not a bug — we were stuck there with her for at least two seasons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
People reported losing $3.5 billion to impostor scams in 2025, nearly triple 2020’s level, the Federal Trade Commission said in a June report.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
In Orange County, Rivera reported her impostor to the state bar, which is investigating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
He said the "lone impostor" explanation did not add up.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Fiona told me to wear them to the car wash, but holding the gold shorts and Liberty singlet now makes me feel like an impostor.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
The state bar is able to pursue disciplinary action only against California-licensed attorneys, but has no authority against impostors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Additionally, many AI impostors will be revealed this year as well; the 2026 equivalents to Pets.com will not make it through to 2027.”
From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026
Right now, dating apps are falling out of favor with those treasured demographics, not least thanks to the prevalence of catfishing impostors and nonstop deluges of fake dating options.
From Slate ● May 17, 2024
One of fiction’s most famous impostors returns on Thursday with the debut of Netflix’s “Ripley,” the latest adaptation of a character invented in the 1950s by the author Patricia Highsmith.
From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
Maybe they’re not your parents at all, but impostors.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
