verb C1 Advanced

impersonate

ihm-PUR-suh-nayt

Impersonate (verb) means to pretend to be someone else, often to deceive or entertain. Example: “He was arrested for impersonating a police officer.”

verb

To pretend to be someone else, often to deceive or entertain.

"He was arrested for impersonating a police officer."

"The comedian impersonates famous politicians on stage."

(computing) To act with the access rights of a different user account.

"The admin tool lets support staff impersonate a user to debug their account."

How to use impersonate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo pretend to be somebody else, whether as a scam, a joke, or a technical trick.

Easily confused with

personify →

Common pairings

impersonate an officer impersonate a celebrity

Word forms

impersonated past tense, impersonates singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The comedian _____ famous politicians on stage.

Etymology

From im- + person + -ate, literally "to put into a person."

Synonyms

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pose portray personate

Related words

position cold draw describe communicate pose render acre

Rhymes for impersonate

ate date rate mate fate abate slate plate state grate create update

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Frequently asked questions

What does “impersonate” mean?

The word “impersonate” means to pretend to be someone else, often to deceive or entertain. In plain terms, to pretend to be somebody else, whether as a scam, a joke, or a technical trick.

How do you pronounce “impersonate”?

“Impersonate” is pronounced ihm-PUR-suh-nayt (/ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “impersonate” in a sentence?

Here is “impersonate” used in a sentence: “The comedian impersonates famous politicians on stage.”

What part of speech is “impersonate”?

“Impersonate” is a verb.

How many meanings does “impersonate” have?

“Impersonate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to pretend to be someone else, often to deceive or entertain.

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