doppelgänger

noun

dop·​pel·​gäng·​er ˈdä-pəl-ˌgaŋ-ər 

-ˌgeŋ-,

ˌdä-pəl-ˈgaŋ-,

-ˈgeŋ-

variants or doppelganger

1

a

: double sense 2a

said she had seen his doppelgänger

b

: alter ego sense 1b

c

: a person who has the same name as another

2

: a ghostly counterpart (see counterpart sense 3a) of a living person

Did you know?

According to German folklore, all living creatures have a spirit double who is invisible but identical to the living individual. These second selves are perceived as being distinct from ghosts (which appear only after death), and sometimes they are described as the spiritual opposite or negative of their human counterparts. German writers coined the word Doppelgänger (from doppel-, meaning "double," and -gänger, meaning "goer") to refer to such specters.

Synonyms

• alter ego
• carbon
• carbon copy
• clone
• counterpart
• double
• duplicate
• duplication
• facsimile
• fetch
• image
• likeness
• look-alike
• match
• mirror image
• picture
• replica
• ringer
• spit
• spitting image
• twin

Examples of doppelgänger in a Sentence

In the story, the character is haunted by a doppelgänger.

at the mall today I saw someone who could be your doppelgänger

Recent Examples on the Web

The promo released earlier this week featured a slew of Chalamet doppelgangers, dressed up in his various roles like Bob Dylan and Willy Wonka, but arguably the most recognizable lookalike was nowhere to be seen. —Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025

Twenty-one-year-old Miles Mitchell won the lookalike contest in October — which took a turn when, not only did Chalamet arrive, but so did the NYPD, leaving one of the doppelgangers in handcuffs. Watch the full promo below. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025

The dogs who served as muses for the float's talented creators got to visit their floral doppelgangers before the float's maiden voyage on Jan. 1. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025

One of the doppelgangers even chooses the name William as a Riker tribute. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025

Bonus shocking points for ending the episode with Buck and Tommy breaking up and Ryan Guzman's Eddie (still reeling after dating his dead wife's doppelganger) doing full Risky Business cosplay. —EW.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Tech startups use a wealth of data to develop digital doppelgangers which promise to immortalize people on earth. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024

Chalamet snuck his way through the packed mob, hiding behind a black mask and baseball hat, before sneaking up on two doppelgangers posing for photos. —Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 Oct. 2024

And are his army of doppelgangers ready to really commit to the bit? —Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German Doppelgänger, from doppel- double + -gänger goer

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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