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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Millionaire Miser"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
“It’s actually impostor syndrome to the max and really terrifying, but I know what this film is. I’ve watched it 100 times in my head.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 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
“I’d be lying if there wasn’t a bit of impostor syndrome that comes with doing your first feature and it’s so well-received,” Burwell said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
He said the "lone impostor" explanation did not add up.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The electron that scientists see in the laboratory—the electron that physicists, chemists, and engineers have known and loved for decades—is an impostor.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
“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
But there have been a handful of notable Rothschild impostors over the years, including Inna Yashchyshyn, who posed as Anna de Rothschild while visiting Mar-A-Lago in 2021.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
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
“It washes away all enchantment, all magical concealment! They know there are impostors in Gringotts, they have set off defenses against us!”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
