impersonate

[im-pur-suh-neyt, im-pur-suh-nit] / ɪmˈpɜr səˌneɪt, ɪmˈpɜr sə nɪt /

VERB

pretend to be another

Synonyms

STRONGEST

act like imitate masquerade as mimic portray pose as

STRONG

act ape ditto do enact fake mirror perform personate play playact represent

WEAK

act a part act out assume character do an impression of double as dress as make like pass oneself off as play a role put on an act take the part of

Antonyms

STRONG

direct fail halt idle prevent stop

WEAK

be original differ oppose reverse

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.

This season, Fey dropped by to impersonate freshly ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

Sir Tom Jones has warned fans of a "sad and disheartening" scam using fake social media profiles to impersonate him.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

The Workers Fraud Protection Act, which takes effect Jan. 1, makes it “unlawful to falsely impersonate a union representative” and imposes punitive fines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Attackers then move through networks or escalate privileges to impersonate higher-level officials authorized to bid on loads or reroute shipments, McClain said, “all while appearing to be part of normal operations.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

"They probably don't think anyone is stupid enough to impersonate Nazis and stop a transport. So they won't be expecting it."

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Vocabulary lists containing impersonate

The Secret Life of Bees

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Rebound

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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 5–February 11, 2022

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