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

Former 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

Examples of impostor syndrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet, even the Golden State Warriors star suffers from impostor syndrome. —Jessica Golden,alex Sherman, CNBC, 2 June 2025

And yet, impostor syndrome, like comedy, is something Victor can’t seem to shake. —Jen Wang, Vogue, 27 May 2025

Most business owners struggle with impostor syndrome, questioning their leadership abilities. —Hanneke Antonelli, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

The quiet team member might be wrestling with impostor syndrome rather than lacking engagement. —Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impostor syndrome

• acrosome
• aerodrome
• catacomb
• centrosome
• chromosome
• cytochrome
• hippodrome
• honeycomb
• liposome
• meerschaum
• metronome
• microtome