dead ringer
Meaning
Someone or something that looks extremely like another person or thing; an exact look-alike.
Origin
From 19th-century American usage: a “ringer” was a stand-in (often in horse racing or boxing), and “dead” worked as an intensifier meaning absolute/exact, leading to “an exact match.”
Notes
Emphasizes an almost uncanny resemblance, often with surprise or admiration. Informal/neutral in tone; commonly used about people or things that are easily mistaken for the original.
Examples
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That guy at the bar is a dead ringer for my high school math teacher.
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With that haircut, you’re a dead ringer for your brother.
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The actor they cast is a dead ringer for the real journalist.
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This photo is a dead ringer for the one we took on our last trip.
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Her voice is a dead ringer for the singer’s, so I thought it was the original track.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually a noun phrase: “a dead ringer for + noun/pronoun” (e.g., “a dead ringer for my dad”). Often needs an article (“a”). Limited flexibility; “dead” is fixed.
Synonyms
- spitting image
- look-alike
- double
- doppelgänger
- carbon copy
Antonyms
- nothing like
- no resemblance
- completely different
- a far cry from