impersonate
v. B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌɪmˈpɝsəˌneɪt// UK //ɪmpˈɜːsənˌeɪt// im·per·son·ate
v. to pretend to be someone else, like a famous person or a character. You do this to make people think you are that person for a short time.
v. to represent or portray a person or character; to mimic the appearance, voice, or mannerisms of another. Often used in the context of performance or digital security breaches.
He can impersonate his favorite actor very well.
The comedian spent years practicing how to impersonate the president's voice for the show.
In the digital realm, sophisticated malware can impersonate legitimate software to trick users into surrendering their login credentials without realizing the deception.
From im- + person (verb-forming suffix) + -ate.
- Verbimpersonate
- Nounimpersonation
- Nounimpersonator