doppelganger: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, literary
Quick answer
What does “doppelganger” mean?
A person's double or exact look-alike.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person's double or exact look-alike; an apparitional duplicate of a living person.
An eerie or unsettling duplicate of a person; something that closely resembles or is a duplicate of something else, often in a surprising or coincidental way.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'doppelganger' is standard in both, but 'doppelgänger' (with umlaut) is also common, especially in US academic/literary contexts. Pronunciation differences are minor.
Connotations
Slightly more common in UK literary and journalistic contexts. In US, often used in pop culture (TV, film) contexts.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly higher in UK English due to stronger German language influence.
Grammar
How to Use “doppelganger” in a Sentence
[have/meet/see] a doppelgangerdoppelganger of [person/thing]doppelganger for [person]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in marketing: 'The new product is a doppelganger of our competitor's flagship.'
Academic
Used in literary criticism, psychology (the 'double' motif), and folklore studies.
Everyday
Used humorously or with surprise when encountering someone's look-alike: 'I saw your doppelganger at the supermarket!'
Technical
Used in computer graphics/AV for digital human replicas.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “doppelganger”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “doppelganger”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “doppelganger”
- Misspelling: doppelganger, doppleganger, doppelgänger.
- Using plural as 'doppelgangers' (accepted) but sometimes hypercorrected to 'doppelgänger'.
- Confusing with 'twin' – twins are related, doppelgangers are not.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's a loanword from German (Doppelgänger), meaning 'double-goer'.
Yes, in extended metaphorical use, it can describe an object or idea that closely mimics another (e.g., 'This cheap phone is a doppelganger of the flagship model').
In British English: /ˈdɒp(ə)lˌɡæŋə/. In American English: /ˈdɑːp(ə)lˌɡæŋər/. The first syllable rhymes with 'top' (UK) or 'cop' (US).
A twin is a sibling born at the same time. A doppelganger is an unrelated person who looks strikingly similar, often by coincidence.
A person's double or exact look-alike.
Doppelganger is usually formal, literary in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Meet your doppelganger”
- “A case of mistaken doppelgangers”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'DOPPLE' sounds like 'double', and 'GANGER' sounds like someone who 'gangs' (walks) around—a double walker.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDENTITY IS A REPLICABLE OBJECT; A PERSON IS A COPY.
Practice
Quiz
In its original German folklore context, what did a doppelganger typically signify?