look-alike
Noun:
- A person or thing that closely resembles another, especially a person who resembles a famous individual: A "look-alike" is someone or something that bears a very close physical resemblance to another person or object, often used in the context of impersonators or similar products.
Adjective:
- Closely resembling another person or thing: Describes an object or person that has a striking similarity in appearance to another.
Noun:
- The celebrity hired a look-alike for the risky stunt scene. (The famous person employed a double who closely resembled them for the dangerous part of the film.)
- This generic soda is a cheap look-alike of the popular brand. (This unbranded soft drink is an inexpensive imitation that looks very similar to the well-known one.)
Adjective:
- They drove look-alike cars, making it hard to tell them apart. (They operated vehicles that were nearly identical in appearance.)
- The company produced look-alike handbags that mimicked the designer's style. (The firm manufactured bags that closely copied the appearance of the luxury brand's products.)
Professional Context: A "look-alike" is often used professionally for security, entertainment, or marketing purposes.
- The political candidate used a look-alike as a decoy during the parade. (The office-seeker employed a double to divert attention.)
Legal and Commercial Context: The term can imply imitation, sometimes raising issues of trademark or copyright.
- The store was sued for selling look-alike products that infringed on the patent. (The retailer faced legal action for selling imitative goods.)
Double (n): A person who closely resembles another, often used as a substitute, especially in films.
- The actor's double performed all the action sequences.
Doppelgänger (n): A German-derived term for a non-biologically related look-alike or double of a living person.
- He was shocked to meet his doppelgänger at the conference.
Imitation (n/adj): A copy or simulation; not genuine. While related, "imitation" is broader and can refer to copying function or behavior, not just appearance.
- The vase was a clever imitation of a Ming dynasty original.
Dead ringer (n, informal): A person or thing that looks exactly like another.
- With that wig, she's a dead ringer for the singer.
Spitting image (n, informal): A person who looks extremely like another.
- The baby is the spitting image of his father.
Clone (n): In informal use, a person or thing regarded as an identical copy.
- That new building is a clone of the one across the street.
- To be a look-alike for someone: To physically resemble someone closely.
- He could be a look-alike for the president when he wears that suit. (He closely resembles the president in that attire.)
- (To be) the very image of someone: An idiom meaning to look exactly like someone else.
- She's the very image of her mother at that age. (She looks exactly like her mother did when she was young.)
- resembling closely
- they have look-alike cars
- someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor)
- he could be Gingrich's double
- she's the very image of her mother