a doppelganger of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a doppelganger of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone or something that closely resembles another person or thing, often in a surprising or uncanny way. Example: "The actor's performance was so convincing that he felt like a doppelganger of the historical figure he portrayed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

In short, "Mr Turner" is well worth seeing as long as Mr Spall is not taken to be a doppelganger of the artist.Read our interview with Mike Leigh.

The Economist

Later, grown up and moved to another town, Nathanael encounters a barometer salesman whom he takes to be a doppelganger of Coppelius, the original "Sandman".

The Guardian - Books

He's tall, tanned, a doppelganger of an ex-boyfriend and, even through ski clothes, it's clear he has the body of an underwear model.

The Guardian - Travel

Along one wall, a huge fiber-optic window separates the exhibit room from the airplane hangar, where the second SpaceShipTwo, a doppelganger of the one that crashed last October, is parked in a space built to hold five such aircraft.

The Guardian

It certainly doesn't deserve to be forgotten, though, as it features Vitti's most mature and developed performance, as the queen who falls in love with a would-be assassin who was a doppelganger of her late husband.

The Guardian - Film

Designed to cash in on whatever property bonanza the games might bring, they include a doppelganger of the prison ship HMS Weare, which was once moored in Portland Harbour, Dorset.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Marsters believed that Hart was somewhat of a doppelganger to Harkness.

Wikipedia

State TV ran a clip of a Russian doppelganger of Trump taunting a cowed Clinton lookalike and Margarita Simonyan, the boss of RT, the Kremlin's English-language TV news channel, said she would drive around Moscow with a U.S. flag to celebrate.

Huffington Post

Jack Hitt, a journalist who grew up in Charleston across the street from Mrs. Simmons and wrote about her for GQ magazine, remembered her as a figure with a piercing stare, a pillbox hat and "a Dippity-Do hairstyle -- a dowdy doppelganger of Jackie Kennedy".

The New York Times

When John McCain's strategists were looking for a kung-fu move that would turn Barack Obama's popularity and ability to energize massive crowds against him, they chose to frame him as a manufactured product of our celebrity culture, a political doppelganger of Britney Spears.

Huffington Post

The subjects of these were rather like a solid Doppelganger of Mrs Lawrence, and made one feel as if one had been very severely bumped!

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a doppelganger of" when you want to emphasize an uncanny or eerie resemblance between two entities, suggesting more than just a simple similarity.

Common error

Avoid using "a doppelganger of" when a simpler term like "lookalike" or "copy" suffices. Doppelganger implies a more profound or unsettling resemblance, not just superficial similarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a doppelganger of" functions as a noun phrase acting as a predicate nominative or object complement. It describes someone or something that closely resembles another, often with an eerie or uncanny connotation, as seen in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

73%

Wiki

21%

Science

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a doppelganger of" is a grammatically sound construction used to describe an uncanny resemblance between two entities. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, its frequency is uncommon, primarily appearing in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, consider the slightly eerie connotation it carries, suggesting more than just a simple likeness. If a more formal tone is needed, consider alternatives such as "a counterpart of" or "a replica of".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a lookalike of

Focuses specifically on visual similarity, implying someone or something that looks very similar.

a spitting image of

Suggests a very strong resemblance, often used in familial contexts.

a carbon copy of

Implies an exact replica or duplication.

a dead ringer for

Informal term emphasizing striking similarity in appearance.

an exact double of

Highlights the identical nature of the two subjects being compared.

a mirror image of

Suggests a reversed but otherwise identical appearance.

a twin of

Implies a very close resemblance, as with twins.

a counterpart of

Indicates a similar role or function in a different context.

a replica of

Refers to an item that is made to be exactly like another.

a clone of

Suggests a genetically identical copy.

FAQs

How to use "a doppelganger of" in a sentence?

Use "a doppelganger of" to describe someone or something that bears a striking and often unsettling resemblance to another. For example, "The new building looks like "a doppelganger of" the old city hall".

What can I say instead of "a doppelganger of"?

You can use alternatives like "a lookalike of", "a spitting image of", or "a dead ringer for" depending on the context.

What is the origin of the word "doppelganger"?

The word "doppelganger" comes from the German language, where "Doppelgänger" literally means "double walker". It traditionally refers to a ghostly double of a living person.

Is it appropriate to use "a doppelganger of" in formal writing?

While "a doppelganger of" is understood, it carries a slightly informal or literary tone. For formal writing, consider alternatives like "a counterpart of" or "a replica of" if the context allows.