doppelganger
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/ˈdɑːpəlˌɡæŋər/
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A striking look-alike, a ghostly double of a living person, or in fantasy a shapeshifting imitator.
Examples
People kept stopping him because he looked like the singer's doppelganger.
Seeing his doppelganger across the room made him pause.
A viral contest invited fans to dress as the celebrity's doppelganger.
The villagers feared the doppelganger as a bad omen.
A careful clue revealed the doppelganger before it attacked.
Similar words
mirror image
copycat
double
double
imposter
shapeshifter
mimic
dead ringer
twin stranger
double
Meanings
Examples
People kept stopping him because he looked like the singer's doppelganger.
My friend found her doppelganger in an old family photograph.
The two actors are not related, but one is almost the other's doppelganger.
A viral contest invited fans to dress as the celebrity's doppelganger.
Seeing his doppelganger across the room made him pause.
Similar words
look-alike
double
dead ringer
twin stranger
spitting image
mirror image
Examples
In the legend, seeing your doppelganger was a warning of danger.
The gothic story gives the hero a silent doppelganger who follows him at night.
She believed the figure in the mirror was her doppelganger.
The film uses a doppelganger to show the character's hidden self.
The villagers feared the doppelganger as a bad omen.
Similar words
double
apparition
spectral double
phantom
alter ego
evil twin
Examples
The party discovered that the guard was really a doppelganger.
In the game, a doppelganger can copy a hero's face and voice.
The villain hired a doppelganger to replace the queen.
A careful clue revealed the doppelganger before it attacked.
Fantasy stories often use a doppelganger to create suspicion within a group.
Similar words
shapeshifter
imitator
mimic
double
imposter
copycat
Etymology
Borrowed from German Doppelgänger, from Doppel meaning double and Gänger meaning goer or walker.
FAQ
What does doppelganger mean?
Doppelganger usually means a person who looks strikingly like another person.
Is doppelganger spelled with an umlaut?
The German spelling is Doppelgänger, but English commonly writes doppelganger without the umlaut.
Is a doppelganger the same as a twin?
No. A doppelganger is usually an unrelated look-alike or a supernatural double, not a biological twin.
Can doppelganger mean a ghost?
It can mean a ghostly double of a living person, but it is not just any ghost.
What is a fantasy doppelganger?
In fantasy, a doppelganger is often a shapeshifter that can imitate another person's appearance.
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