Dictionary

doppelganger en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɑp(ə)lˌɡɛŋəɹ/ (US)
• /ˈdɒp(ə)lˌɡɛŋə/ (UK)
• /-ˌɡæŋəɹ/ (US)
• /-ˌɡæŋə/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• (UK) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from German Doppelgänger (“ghostly spirit”, literally “double-walker”).

Meanings

1. A ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts such a person.
   • The uncanniness provoked by doppelgangers is particularly acute because the thing that becomes unfamiliar is you. 2023, Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN:
   • "An orderly let out the news that you are here," she said. "But don't worry. We've sent out a doppelganger to fool the Sons, and the orderly has been sentenced to slavery under the pyramid builder for twenty lifetimes. I hate my brother! How dare he fight us with the sky falling?" 1963, Lester del Rey, The Sky Is Falling:
2. An evil twin.
   • I've got a pervert doppelganger / He came from over the sea / He hangs around doing sexual crimes / And the blame is getting pinned on me 1997, Momus, “My Pervert Doppelganger”, in Ping Pong:
3. A remarkably similar double.
   • He had come tantalisingly close to his doppelganger on Thursday night when a beautiful burgundy boat cruised past him. “He saw me and I waved and he gave me a thumbs-up,” said Halicilar. “I was so happy. I cried.” 2025 June 27, Sam Jones, “Till Jeff us do part: divisive, star-studded Bezos wedding hits full swing in Venice”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • Stars in Their Eyes ran for 16 years from 1990, and had the "wow" factor moment of transforming a pub singer into their idol, as the contestant said the famous words: "Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be…" and then stepped out from a puff of dry ice as their musical doppelganger. 2021 September 15, Laura Martin, “How talent shows became TV's most bizarre programmes”, in BBC:
4. A monster that takes the forms of people, usually after killing them.

Forms

Deriveds

doppelbanger

Relateds

doubleganger

Synonyms

double · alter ego · lookalike · doubleganger · alter ego

Translations (102)

cy dwbl (ghostly double of a living person) · ja ドッペルゲンガー (ghostly double of a living person) · ko 도플갱어 (ghostly double of a living person) · pt doppelganger (ghostly double of a living person) · cy dwblgerddwr (ghostly double of a living person) · hi हमशक्ल (remarkably similar double) · cy gefell unfath (ghostly double of a living person) · da dobbeltgænger (ghostly double of a living person) · uk допельга́нгер (ghostly double of a living person) · cs dvojník (remarkably similar double) · cmn 翻版 (remarkably similar double) · ru двойни́к (remarkably similar double) · uk двійни́к (remarkably similar double) · cy dwbl (remarkably similar double) · ca sòsia (remarkably similar double) · sk dvojník (remarkably similar double) · cmn 分身 (ghostly double of a living person) · it gemello malvagio (evil twin) · gd co-choisiche (ghostly double of a living person) · hu hasonmás (ghostly double of a living person) · es otro yo (ghostly double of a living person) · bg дво́йник (remarkably similar double) · sv dubbelgångare (ghostly double of a living person) · fi kaksoisolento (evil twin) · be двайні́ца (remarkably similar double) · ru двойни́ца (remarkably similar double) · pl sobowtór (ghostly double of a living person) · ru доппельга́нгер (ghostly double of a living person) · ur ہمشکل (remarkably similar double) · uk двійни́ця (remarkably similar double) · sv dubbelgångare (remarkably similar double) · sl dvojnik (remarkably similar double) · cmn 邪惡分身 /邪恶分身 (evil twin) · mk двојничка (remarkably similar double) · fr sosie (remarkably similar double) · da dobbeltgænger (remarkably similar double) · sh дво̑јнӣк (remarkably similar double) · fr alter ego (evil twin) · hi हमशक्ल (ghostly double of a living person) · it sosia (remarkably similar double) · fi kaksoisolento (remarkably similar double) · cy hunan arall (evil twin) · cy gefell unfath (evil twin) · pt sósia (remarkably similar double) · es sosias (remarkably similar double) · sh дво̑јница (remarkably similar double) · sh dvȏjnica (remarkably similar double) · it alter ego (ghostly double of a living person) · uk двійни́к (ghostly double of a living person) · nl dubbelganger (remarkably similar double) · be двайні́ца (ghostly double of a living person) · ar شَبِيه (remarkably similar double) · nb dobbeltgjenger (remarkably similar double) · fa همشکل (remarkably similar double) · cmn 僞人 /伪人 (monster that takes the forms of people) · ur ہمشکل (ghostly double of a living person) · de Doppelgänger (ghostly double of a living person) · pa ਹਮਸ਼ਕਲ (ghostly double of a living person) · pl sobowtór (remarkably similar double) · it doppione (ghostly double of a living person) · nl dubbelganger (evil twin) · pt Doppelgänger (ghostly double of a living person) · cy dwblgerddwr (evil twin) · ru двойни́ца (ghostly double of a living person) · fi kaksoisolento (ghostly double of a living person) · de Doppelgänger (remarkably similar double) · is tvífari (remarkably similar double) · is tvífari (ghostly double of a living person) · be двайні́к (ghostly double of a living person) · mk двојник (remarkably similar double) · bg дво́йница (remarkably similar double) · sk dvojníčka (remarkably similar double) · es sosia (remarkably similar double) · pa ਹਮਸ਼ਕਲ (remarkably similar double) · sl dvojnica (remarkably similar double) · nl dubbelganger (ghostly double of a living person) · it doppelgänger (ghostly double of a living person) · be двайні́к (remarkably similar double) · bg дво́йничка (ghostly double of a living person) · ru допельга́нгер (ghostly double of a living person) · nl alter ego (evil twin) · ro sosie (remarkably similar double) · ca alter ego (evil twin) · eo sozio (remarkably similar double) · sh dvȏjnīk (remarkably similar double) · nb dobbeltgjenger (ghostly double of a living person) · pt outro eu (ghostly double of a living person) · cs dvojnice (remarkably similar double) · gd samhla (ghostly double of a living person) · fa همشکل (ghostly double of a living person) · fa همزاد (ghostly double of a living person) · fr jumeau maléfique (evil twin) · bg дво́йница (ghostly double of a living person) · bg дво́йник (ghostly double of a living person) · es doppelganger (dópelguena) (monster that takes the forms of people) · ga taise (ghostly double of a living person) · el σωσίας (remarkably similar double) · uk двійни́ця (ghostly double of a living person) · bg дво́йничка (remarkably similar double) · hu hasonmás (remarkably similar double) · ru двойни́к (ghostly double of a living person) · it alter ego (evil twin)