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
Without formal design training, though, the road to that fan-favorite status was marked by a few bruising moments of impostor syndrome.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 26 Nov. 2024
Connect with a Peer Leadership can feel lonely, exacerbating phenomena like impostor syndrome, which stems from self-doubt and fear of failure.
—Tarun Galagali, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
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
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Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 26 Nov. 2024
Connect with a Peer Leadership can feel lonely, exacerbating phenomena like impostor syndrome, which stems from self-doubt and fear of failure.
—Tarun Galagali, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for impostor syndrome
Dictionary Entries Near impostor syndrome
Cite this Entry
“Impostor syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor%20syndrome. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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