spitting image

noun

plural spitting images

: someone or something that looks very much like someone or something else

Father then and son later are spitting images of each other.

—Norris McDonald

—usually singular

Naimah was brown-skinned, slender, and neighbors said she was the spitting image of her mother.

—Debbie Chocolate

… a lovely … Oscar de la Renta dress, which was the spitting image of a similar one the late royal had worn previously.

—Megan C. Hill

Synonyms

• image
• twin
• replica
• picture
• clone
• mirror image
• portrait
• duplicate
• carbon copy

Examples of spitting image in a Sentence

with the help of either movie magic or makeup, the actress appeared to be the spitting image of the queen

Recent Examples on the Web

Most famously, David Tennant returned to play a Fourteenth Doctor who was the spitting image of the Tenth Doctor. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2025

Abdel Fattah had kept his activities a secret from everyone in his family except for his brother, Mustafa, who sat at the far end of the room, the spitting image of the young man in the martyr’s photo propped up on the end table. —Ben Ehrenreich, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

Prince showed off his blonde locks, which were the spitting image of his dad's hair. —Hannah Sacks, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025

The duo attended the Carolina Herrera runway show in chic ensembles, with Willow looking the spitting image of her mom. —Catherine Santino, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of spit and image

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spitting image

• scrimmage

Kids Definition

spitting image

noun

: perfect likeness