spitting image

noun

plural spitting images

: someone or something that looks very much like someone or something else

Father then and son later are spitting images of each other.

—Norris McDonald

—usually singular

Naimah was brown-skinned, slender, and neighbors said she was the spitting image of her mother.

—Debbie Chocolate

… a lovely … Oscar de la Renta dress, which was the spitting image of a similar one the late royal had worn previously.

—Megan C. Hill

Synonyms

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

Examples of spitting image in a Sentence

with the help of either movie magic or makeup, the actress appeared to be the spitting image of the queen

Recent Examples on the Web

And yes, apart from the berry earrings, Patagonia zip-up, and eyeglasses, Violet Affleck is the spitting image of her mother. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 4 Nov. 2024

Yasmin looks devastating, gorgeous, and sad, the spitting image of Princess Diana in her black gown. —Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024

Wearing El’s moody mug, pink dress and blonde wig, the talk show host looked like a spitting image of the telepathic teen. —Kate Hogan, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Ray Nicholson is the spitting image of his father, Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson. —Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of spit and image

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

spitting image

noun

: perfect likeness