impostor syndrome
noun
variants
or imposter syndrome
: a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success
Plucked from semi-obscurity to replace Ann Landers, who died in 2002, Amy Dickinson suffered bouts of imposter syndrome: Who was she to give advice to the millions who read Landers' syndicated column?—
Kim Hubbard
Kim HubbardFormer US first lady Michelle Obama on Thursday urged girls to resist the "impostor syndrome" she had felt on the way up and fight men for power, saying plenty of them didn't deserve it.—Lih Yi Beh
Lih Yi BehExamples of impostor syndrome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Identifying impostor syndrome is the first step towards overcoming its grip.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
People with impostor syndrome often have difficulty internalizing their achievements.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Randolph opened up about how impostor syndrome was dampening her awards-season excitement.
—Anne Branigin, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
My hope is to keep my hiker impostor syndrome at bay in the year ahead by increasing my confidence on the trail.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023
Like a relentless whisper, impostor syndrome sowed seeds of doubt and fueled fears of exposure as a fraud.
—Kimberly Svoboda, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
Leverage mindfulness to navigate the challenges of impostor syndrome, fostering resilience.
—Kimberly Svoboda, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
In my opinion, pretending is the quickest route to impostor syndrome.
—Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
And that’s probably down to a little bit of impostor syndrome.
—Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Pitchfork, 16 Nov. 2023
Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
People with impostor syndrome often have difficulty internalizing their achievements.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Randolph opened up about how impostor syndrome was dampening her awards-season excitement.
—Anne Branigin, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
My hope is to keep my hiker impostor syndrome at bay in the year ahead by increasing my confidence on the trail.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023
Like a relentless whisper, impostor syndrome sowed seeds of doubt and fueled fears of exposure as a fraud.
—Kimberly Svoboda, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
Leverage mindfulness to navigate the challenges of impostor syndrome, fostering resilience.
—Kimberly Svoboda, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
In my opinion, pretending is the quickest route to impostor syndrome.
—Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
And that’s probably down to a little bit of impostor syndrome.
—Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Pitchfork, 16 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impostor syndrome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near impostor syndrome
Cite this Entry
“Impostor syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor%20syndrome. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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