impersonate

/ɪmˌpʌrsnˈeɪt/

/ɪmˈpʌsəneɪt/

Other forms: impersonating; impersonated; impersonates

Impersonate means to pretend to be someone you're not. If you impersonate a bank teller in order to gain access to the money in the vault, you better hope nobody at the bank asks you any questions.

Impersonate comes from the Latin in and persona, meaning "to invest with a personality." It often is used to describe someone posing as someone else for criminal purposes, but you can also impersonate someone for comedic effect. You may have seen actors on television do this. They impersonate politicians and celebrities by wearing wigs and makeup and try to match the famous person's mannerisms and way of speaking as closely as possible.

Definitions of impersonate

1. verb

   pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions
   synonyms: personate, pose

   types:

   masquerade

   pretend to be someone or something that you are not

   type of:

   betray, deceive, lead astray

   cause someone to believe an untruth
2. verb

   assume or act the character of
   “She impersonates Madonna”

   synonyms: portray

   type of:

   act, play, represent

   play a role or part
3. verb

   represent another person with comic intentions
   type of:

   mock

   imitate with mockery and derision