Definition

Adjective - Characterized by fraud or deception: "impostrous" describes something that is fraudulent, deceitful, or involving an impostor. It pertains to actions, claims, or persons that are false and intended to deceive.

Usage Examples

• (The claims were fraudulent and intended to deceive customers.)
• (His deceitful actions were exposed.)
• (The document was fake and created to deceive.)

Advanced Usage

• "impostrous pretence": a false or deceptive claim to a particular status or quality.

  • His impostrous pretence of being a doctor endangered patients' lives. (His false claim to be a medical professional was dangerous.)

• "impostrous scheme": a fraudulent plan or plot.

  • The impostrous scheme promised investors huge returns but was merely a scam. (The plan was deceptive and dishonest.)

Variants and Related Words

• Impostor (n): a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others.

  • The impostor was arrested after impersonating a police officer. (The deceiver was caught.)

• Imposture (n): an instance of pretending to be someone else in order to deceive; fraud.

  • His imposture was maintained for years before his lies caught up with him. (His deception lasted a long time.)

Synonyms

• Fraudulent: intended to deceive; dishonest.
• Deceitful: behaving in a way intended to make someone believe something that is not true.
• Spurious: not genuine; false or fake.

Related Idioms

• To be an impostor at heart: to have a fundamentally deceitful character.

  • Though he seemed kind, he was an impostor at heart, always plotting to cheat others. (He was inherently dishonest.)

• To wear an impostrous mask: to hide one's true identity or intentions behind a false appearance.

  • She wore an impostrous mask of friendliness while secretly sabotaging her colleagues. (She pretended to be friendly while acting deceptively.)