impostor
“impostor” means “impostor” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
impostor
Also: fraud, fake
📝 In Action
El impostor se hizo pasar por un cirujano famoso.
B1The impostor pretended to be a famous surgeon.
Nadie sospechaba que el nuevo vecino era un impostor.
B2No one suspected that the new neighbor was an impostor.
La policía finalmente atrapó al impostor en el aeropuerto.
A2The police finally caught the impostor at the airport.
deceitful
Also: imposter-like
📝 In Action
Ese es un espíritu impostor que solo busca engañar.
C1That is a deceitful spirit that only seeks to deceive.
No confíes en su discurso impostor.
B2Do not trust his deceitful speech.
Sus palabras impostoras no nos convencieron.
B2His deceitful words did not convince us.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: impostor
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses 'impostor' for a man who is pretending to be a pilot?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'impostor', which comes from 'imponere', meaning 'to place upon' or 'to impose'. It carries the idea of 'imposing' a false identity on others.
First recorded: 16th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'impostor' spelled with an 'o' or an 'e' at the end?
In Spanish, it always ends in 'or' for masculine and 'ora' for feminine. Unlike English where it is sometimes spelled 'imposter', in Spanish only 'impostor' is correct.
Does 'impostor' have a written accent mark?
No. Because it ends in 'r' and the stress is on the last syllable (im-pos-TOR), it follows standard rules and doesn't need an accent mark.
Can I use this word to talk about 'Imposter Syndrome'?
Yes! In Spanish, that psychological feeling is called 'el síndrome del impostor'.