impostor syndrome
noun
variants
or imposter syndrome
: a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success
Plucked from semi-obscurity to replace Ann Landers, who died in 2002, Amy Dickinson suffered bouts of imposter syndrome: Who was she to give advice to the millions who read Landers' syndicated column?—
Kim Hubbard
Kim HubbardFormer US first lady Michelle Obama on Thursday urged girls to resist the "impostor syndrome" she had felt on the way up and fight men for power, saying plenty of them didn't deserve it.—Lih Yi Beh
Lih Yi BehExamples of impostor syndrome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New opportunities can open the door to fresh versions of impostor syndrome, and being a fast learner doesn’t magically change you into someone who doesn’t prefer to feel prepared.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2024
With that came a lot of impostor syndrome and a massive confidence crisis.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2024
Shaking off the impostor syndrome Having never fully understood the day-to-day grind in PE, studying the sector also allowed me to de-mystify what a job on a deal team entails.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 June 2024
There’s plenty of evidence that the Miami Dolphins fan base might have impostor syndrome.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for impostor syndrome 
Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2024
With that came a lot of impostor syndrome and a massive confidence crisis.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2024
Shaking off the impostor syndrome Having never fully understood the day-to-day grind in PE, studying the sector also allowed me to de-mystify what a job on a deal team entails.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 June 2024
There’s plenty of evidence that the Miami Dolphins fan base might have impostor syndrome.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for impostor syndrome
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impostor syndrome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Impostor syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor%20syndrome. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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