doppelganger

plural doppelgangers · alternative doppelgänger

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

   1 more example

   "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

   Synonyms: double, doubleganger

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

   Synonyms: alter ego

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

   1 more example

   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

   Synonyms: lookalike, alter ego

4. fantasyA monster that takes the forms of people, usually after killing them.