impersonate

Everyday

1. To copy the voice, look or way of moving of someone, usually to make people laugh. tree →
2. To pretend to be another person in order to trick people, which can be a crime, for example pretending to be a police officer. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life comedians impersonate famous people, and children impersonate teachers in the playground. In online-safety lessons, scammers may impersonate a bank, a friend or a company in a message — so check before trusting. In law, impersonating a police officer is illegal. Phrases: impersonate a voice, impersonate a celebrity, impersonate a police officer.

Examples

• He can impersonate the head teacher's voice perfectly. tree →
• The comedian impersonated the Prime Minister. tree →
• A scammer impersonated my aunt's bank in a text message. tree →
• It is a crime to impersonate a police officer. tree →
• My sister impersonated a robot in the school play. tree →
• Someone impersonated my friend online, so we reported the account. tree →

Note

Noun: «impersonation»; person: «impersonator». Impersonating for fun is fine if it is kind; impersonating to deceive is fraud. Online safety: a message that sounds like someone you know may be an impersonation — check by another route.