IMPERSONATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does impersonate mean? 

• IMPERSONATE (verb)
  The verb IMPERSONATE has 3 senses:

1. assume or act the character of

2. represent another person with comic intentions

3. pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions

  Familiarity information: IMPERSONATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPERSONATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they impersonate    ... he / she / it impersonates   
Past simple: impersonated   
Past participle: impersonated   
-ing form: impersonating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Assume or act the character of

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

impersonate; portray

Context example:

The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man

Hypernyms (to "impersonate" is one way to...):

act; play; represent (play a role or part)

Domain category:

performing arts (arts or skills that require public performance)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

impersonation (imitating the mannerisms of another person)

impersonation (pretending to be another person)

persona (an actor's portrayal of someone in a play)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Represent another person with comic intentions

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "impersonate" is one way to...):

mock (imitate with mockery and derision)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

impersonation (a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect)

persona (an actor's portrayal of someone in a play)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

impersonate; personate; pose

Context example:

She posed as the Czar's daughter

Hypernyms (to "impersonate" is one way to...):

betray; deceive; lead astray (cause someone to believe an untruth)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "impersonate"):

masquerade (pretend to be someone or something that you are not)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

impersonation (imitating the mannerisms of another person)

impersonation (pretending to be another person)

impersonator (someone who (fraudulently) assumes the appearance of another)

 Context examples 

The other is impersonating you at the office.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is curious to me how I could ever have consoled myself under my small troubles (which were great troubles to me), by impersonating my favourite characters in them—as I did—and by putting Mr. and Miss Murdstone into all the bad ones—which I did too.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)