impersonator
/im'pə:səneitə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A person who imitates the appearance, voice, or mannerisms of another person, often for entertainment. This is the most common usage, referring to performers who mimic celebrities or public figures. 2. A person who fraudulently assumes the identity or appearance of another. This usage emphasizes deception, often for illegal or harmful purposes.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Entertainment context):
- The comedy show featured a talented impersonator who did perfect impressions of famous politicians.
- She is a professional Elvis Presley impersonator.
- Noun (Fraudulent context):
- The criminal was an expert impersonator who stole money by pretending to be a bank official.
- He was arrested for being an impersonator who used a fake ID.
Advanced Usage
- "Celebrity impersonator": A specific type of performer who specializes in imitating famous people.
- The party hired a celebrity impersonator to look and sound like the company's CEO for a humorous speech.
- "Master impersonator": Used to describe someone with exceptional skill in imitation.
- He is considered a master impersonator because he can mimic dozens of different accents flawlessly.
Variants and Related Words
- Impersonate (verb): To imitate or pretend to be another person.
- It is illegal to impersonate a police officer.
- Impersonation (noun): The act of impersonating someone.
- His impersonation of the president was hilarious.
Synonyms
- Mimic: Someone who imitates, especially for entertainment.
- Impostor / Imposter: Someone who pretends to be someone else to deceive (stronger connotation of fraud).
- Look-alike: Someone who closely resembles another person in appearance.
Related Phrases
- To do an impersonation of: To perform as an imitation of a specific person.
- Can you do an impersonation of your teacher?
- To pass oneself off as: To deceptively claim to be someone else (often used with "impersonator").
- The impersonator tried to pass himself off as a wealthy investor.
Noun
- someone who (fraudulently) assumes the appearance of another