alter ego

noun

ˌȯl-tər-ˈē-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce alter ego (audio)
Definition of alter egonext
1
as in friend
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another over the years the state's other senator became his alter ego as well as his political ally

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in image
something or someone that strongly resembles another the hero of the novel is clearly the author's alter ego, right down to his receding hairline and middle-aged paunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alter ego There are also hundreds of his own charcoal drawings and oil paintings, most of which are of Dolores, his female alter ego. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026 The Weeknd brought his After Hours alter ego straight to the 2020 VMAs in a bright red blazer, black shirt and trousers, leather gloves, and black-and-white dress shoes. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026 Well before his alter ego materialized, and well before Hollywood found him, MacLachlan was prone to anxiety and fears of never fitting in. — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Norman Cook’s dancefloor alter ego will visit these parts in March 2027 for seven tour dates across Fremantle, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alter ego
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alter ego
  1. friend
  2. image
  3. buddy
  4. twin
  5. picture
  6. replica
  7. clone
  8. duplicate
Noun
  • The friend and my father took my older sister and me out for a walk, and, at a nearby schoolyard, the man hung the camera on an exercise bar.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • May his struggles never dim the memories of a sweet man, a dear friend, and a master musician.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of friend
Noun
  • The image is then precision-fabricated into a 3D model that’s finished by hand — all for $2,200, about the national average of an actual wedding gown.
    — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This sort of puzzling connection between text and image is repeated throughout the exhibition.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of image
Noun
  • Keith David, Macon Blair, Killer Mike, Cody Lightning, Siena East, and Michael Hitchcock all return as some of Lee’s Tulsa-area buddies, employees, and resentful acquaintances.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Mitt’s old fishing buddy Hewey (John Ortiz) tells Jay that his father plunged into the ocean at the edge of a steep underwater canyon off Monastery Beach, so that’s where Jay is headed.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of buddy
Noun
  • Instead of crossing over into the afterlife, Billy, the magically inclined twin, transferred his soul into the body of William Kaplan, a teenager who had just been involved in a fatal car crash.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The platform, dubbed Forge Cognition, uses artificial intelligence agents and real-time digital twins to help operators improve asset reliability, energy efficiency, and occupant comfort across existing systems and facilities.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of twin
Noun
  • In my tests, with the lower-brightness Cinema mode, the UHZ36 was easily bright enough to deliver a suitably bright picture for both SDR and HDR material on my 90-inch screen in a dark room.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That ended Notre Dame's 16-game winning streak and is one of several outcomes that are going to shake up the rankings and CFP picture in a big, big way.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of picture
Noun
  • The Southern Alps are an almost exact replica of the Himalayas in terms of their lot formations and crevasse fields, according to Hiddleston.
    — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The trio also talked about building a replica of the Young statue, which would be placed in the Renaissance Center once it is revamped.
    — Carol Cain, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of replica
Noun
  • The device captures troves of card information, which thieves later collect in order to clone cards.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly building an AI clone of himself that is trained on his tone and mannerisms and can answer staff questions.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of clone
Noun
  • The Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration deny the allegations and say the revision is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The waiver gives the studio permission to create a duplicate of an actor in costume, which aids in VFX work during postproduction.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of duplicate

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altered
alter ego
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Cite this Entry

“Alter ego.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alter%20ego. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on alter ego

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alter ego

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