doppelgänger

noun

dop·​pel·​gäng·​er ˈdä-pəl-ˌgaŋ-ər 

-ˌgeŋ-,

ˌdä-pəl-ˈgaŋ-,

-ˈgeŋ-

variants or doppelganger

1

a

: double sense 2a

said she had seen his doppelgänger

b

: alter ego sense 1b

c

: a person who has the same name as another

2

: a ghostly counterpart (see counterpart sense 3a) of a living person

Did you know?

According to German folklore, all living creatures have a spirit double who is invisible but identical to the living individual. These second selves are perceived as being distinct from ghosts (which appear only after death), and sometimes they are described as the spiritual opposite or negative of their human counterparts. German writers coined the word Doppelgänger (from doppel-, meaning "double," and -gänger, meaning "goer") to refer to such specters.

Synonyms

• alter ego
• carbon
• carbon copy
• clone
• counterpart
• double
• duplicate
• duplication
• facsimile
• fetch
• image
• likeness
• look-alike
• match
• mirror image
• picture
• replica
• ringer
• spit
• spitting image
• twin

Examples of doppelgänger in a Sentence

In the story, the character is haunted by a doppelgänger.

at the mall today I saw someone who could be your doppelgänger

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the course of three seasons so far, the heroes of The Umbrella Academy have fought psychic dance battles, traveled through time to the ‘60s and back, and even faced down their own doppelganger family. —Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 May 2024

That doesn’t mean their hidden doppelgangers can’t affect them in unexpected ways, though. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024

Lovato's attitude toward her grotesque doppelganger seemed to shift beginning in 2017, as the singer tweeted a gif of the meme without a caption. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 21 Aug. 2023

McLain’s staff shared the dessert doppelganger on social media Tuesday. —Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 19 Jan. 2024

This is right after Daniel has run into Carol, a Claudia Schiffer doppelganger, at the Christmas concert. —Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023

More than 9,000 Amazon five-star reviewers vouch for it, too — and this doppelganger is half the price at just $22. —Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023

Madonna, at 65, looked at her younger doppelganger. —Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 14 Dec. 2023

Mia and her doppelganger were born days apart in May 2006 — one a Gemini, the other a Taurus. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

German Doppelgänger, from doppel- double + -gänger goer

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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