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

Ninety-six people were prosecuted for attempting to cheat on driving tests or impersonate candidates in the 12 months to September last year.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 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

Other advice given by some creators include tips on how to deceive audiences, by having their page impersonate other entities to build audiences and become eligible for Meta's CM program.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2025

If I tried to impersonate a British person, like that, Libby would tell me I’m working too hard and ruining the scene.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

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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