impersonator

noun

Definition of impersonatornext
1
as in performer
a person who imitates another's voice and mannerisms for comic effect a versatile impersonator, he conjures up a glittering array of female stars and divas in the course of his act

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in actor
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show) a gifted impersonator who can convincingly portray both heroes and heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impersonator Ellis, a singer whose voice resembled Elvis Presley, had gained a national following for a time as an Elvis impersonator. — CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 In it, Simpson pulled pranks on strangers dressed as a Ford Bronco salesman, a durag-wearing rapper, a pizza delivery man, an Elvis Presley impersonator and an elderly, white man. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 At all times the person is a gender impersonator not a transgender. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Parton played herself in the 2005 follow-up to 2000’s Miss Congeniality, which featured a scene where Bullock’s character, FBI agent Gracie Hart, tackles and straddles the country music legend—mistaking her for a Vegas impersonator. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impersonator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonator
  1. performer
  2. actor
  3. entertainer
  4. actress
  5. imitator
  6. impressionist
Noun
  • Hugo said his work as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and performer was central to their success, though Williams was the public face of their partnership.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the Chicago Tribune, Loerzel wrote that the opening of the Uptown in 1925 was cause for a festival, complete with bands, trapeze artists and a madcap performer who set himself ablaze and submerged himself in water to extinguish the flames.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • The actor and his wife, singer Dua Lipa, are frequently spotted walking their actual dog, a Labrador-Rottweiler named Golo.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The former child actor’s cause of death was confirmed as suicide to various outlets by his rep, and the news left his fans and former co-stars in shock.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of actor
Noun
  • Marlene Dietrich developed a penchant for nomadism over the course of her life as an entertainer.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • How was Dolly a model for a woman in country to be a gifted songwriter and entertainer, with both strong values and wide appeal?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertainer
Noun
  • In an attempt to uncover what might be going on in her mind, Fielder travels to a farm in upstate New York to meet actress Amanda Seyfried, who played Holmes to much acclaim in the 2022 Hulu series The Dropout.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Having dressed numerous actresses throughout her career, Chiuri sees a shift in red carpet culture toward individualized creations and, more recently, greater restraint.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • Deafheaven broke the mold by introducing blinding light to rock music’s darkest corner, but after wave upon wave of imitators, the only subversion left is to blot out the sun.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Dadaists used this gleefully and compulsively (see René Clair and Francis Picabia’s wacky Entr’Acte); so, famously, did Hideo Nakata in Y2K hit The Ring and countless imitators.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of imitator
Noun
  • The black and white photographs work especially well hung just a wall away from the Impressionists, many of who also work in black and white and concentrate on the slightest shadows.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2026
  • My first visit was in 1995 for a retrospective of 19th century Impressionist painter Gustave Caillebotte.
    — David Allen, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of impressionist

Browse Nearby Words

impersonations
impersonator
impersonators
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impersonator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonator. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All