imposter
/ɪmˈpɒstər/
Very CommonSomeone pretending to be something they are not, or someone acting out of character in a way that feels fake.
Can be used literally about a fake or fraud, or loosely about someone whose behavior just seems off that day.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | bro voted for his own teammate. he's the imposter. | He betrayed his group, proving he was never loyal to them. | tiktok, 2021 |
| 02 | she's been acting like an imposter lately. something is off. | Her behavior has changed in a way that feels fake or suspicious. | x, 2022 |
| 03 | imposter has been found. he was the fake fan all along. | Someone who claimed to be a fan was exposed as not actually caring. | reddit, 2021 |
| 04 | my brain when I get a task done at work: 1 imposter remains | Joking that even completing tasks does not fully remove the feeling of being a fraud. | x, 2020 |
Use it when
- Someone is clearly pretending or faking their identity or loyalty.
- Someone acts suspicious in a social situation.
- Joking that a friend is acting weird or unlike themselves.
- Describing the Among Us game role.
Do not use it when
- You mean imposter syndrome (the psychological experience).Use “imposter syndrome” instead.
- You just mean someone is bad at something.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
The Among Us game (released 2018, viral 2020) has players called Crewmates and Impostors. The Impostor secretly sabotages the group. The word moved into general internet use to describe anyone acting fake or suspicious.
- First seen
- 2020
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/imposterUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0