impersonate
gb/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt/ us/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt/
B2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B2
action
1
pretend to be someone else
to act like you are another person, usually to trick people
Patrón de uso:
[someone] impersonates [someone] (to [do something])
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse impersonate (pretend to be a specific person) with imitate (copy someone’s style or behavior, often for fun).
Sinónimos
pose as (Common in fraud contexts; emphasizes deception.)
|
pretend to be (More general and less formal.)
|
pass oneself off as (Stresses trying to convince others of a false identity.)
Antónimos
identify oneself (To state who you really are instead of taking a false identity.)
|
reveal one's identity (To disclose the real person behind an account or disguise.)
Colocaciones
impersonate a police officer
|impersonate an official
|impersonate a customer
|impersonate a bank employee
|impersonate the CEO
|impersonate another user
|impersonate someone online
|impersonate someone on social media
|impersonate an account holder
|impersonate a caller
Temas
crime
|technology
|law
|security
Ejemplos
- Someone impersonated a bank employee and persuaded her to share her password.
- He was arrested for impersonating a police officer to get into the building.
- The email looked official, but it was sent by a scammer impersonating the company’s support team.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He tried to impersonate my friend online.
- Do not impersonate another person.
Verbo
B2
action
2
imitate a person for entertainment
to copy the way someone speaks or acts, usually to make people laugh
Patrón de uso:
[someone] impersonates [someone]
Error frecuente:
Impersonate focuses on copying a specific person; mimic can be broader (sounds, animals, movements) and do an impression is a common informal alternative.
Sinónimos
imitate (Broader; can apply to style or behavior as well as a person.)
|
mimic (Often emphasizes copying voice or small mannerisms.)
|
do an impression of (Common and informal; strongly linked to comedy.)
Antónimos
be oneself (To act naturally as your real self, not copying another person.)
Colocaciones
impersonate a celebrity
|impersonate a politician
|impersonate a singer
|impersonate an actor
|impersonate a public figure
|impersonate someone’s voice
|impersonate someone’s accent
|impersonate someone perfectly
|impersonate someone on stage
|impersonate someone for a sketch
Temas
arts
|media
|humor
|performance
Ejemplos
- In the sketch, she impersonated the mayor’s voice and gestures.
- He can impersonate famous singers so well that people close their eyes and believe it’s real.
- The comedian impersonated several celebrities during the show.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She can impersonate her teacher.
- He impersonated a famous actor.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
impersonate
AFI
GB/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt/
US/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt/
Sílabas y acento
im - per - son - ate (4 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (per)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: impersonate
- 3rd Person Singular: impersonates
- Present Participle: impersonating
- Past: impersonated
Familia de palabras
Forms
impersonates
verb
impersonating
verb
impersonated
verb
Core family
impersonation
noun C1
impersonator
noun B2
Related words
persona
noun
Expresiones
impersonate a celebrity
1/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt ə səlˈɛbɹɪti/
fixed phrase
act like a famous person
to copy a famous person for fun or performance
Ejemplos
- At the party, he impersonated a celebrity and everyone recognized the voice.
- The show invites contestants to impersonate a celebrity on stage.
- She became popular for impersonating celebrities in short videos.
impersonate a police officer
1/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt ə pəlˈis ˈɔfɪsɚ/
fixed phrase
legal
pretend to be a police officer
to pretend you are a police officer (often a crime)
Ejemplos
- He was charged with impersonating a police officer after stopping drivers on the highway.
- The scam involved callers impersonating a police officer and demanding payment.
- It is a serious offense to impersonate a police officer.
impersonate someone online
1/ɪmpˈɚsənˌeɪt sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɔnlˌaɪn/
fixed phrase
use another identity online
to pretend to be another person on the internet
Ejemplos
- Someone is impersonating me online and messaging my contacts.
- The platform removed accounts that impersonated public figures online.
- She reported the profile for impersonating her online.