402 imposter game words, by category
Need a secret word for the imposter game? Here are words that work, grouped by theme. Pick one everybody at the table knows, show it to everyone except the imposter, and start giving clues.
How to use this list
Choose a category, pick a word and make sure every player except one sees it. On paper that means writing the word on all but one slip and “Imposter” on the last. In the Classic Imposter game in Fib Club, the app picks the word and the imposter for you, so the person organising gets to play too.
Everyday Things
Stuff lying around the house. Harder than it sounds.
- Toothbrush
- Umbrella
- Kettle
- Sofa
- Pillow
- Microwave
- Fridge
- Toaster
- Doorbell
- Remote control
- Hoover
- Washing machine
- Hairdryer
- Lamp
- Mirror
- Wardrobe
- Duvet
- Slippers
- Keys
- Wallet
- Charger
- Headphones
- Laptop
- Bin
- Curtains
- Stairs
- Shower
- Toilet
- Sink
- Towel
- Clock
- Calendar
- Scissors
- Sellotape
- Stapler
- Backpack
- Passport
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Scarf
- Ironing board
- Bookshelf
- Rug
- Plant pot
- Picture frame
- Kitchen roll
- Sponge
- Bleach
- Candle
- Thermostat
- Smoke alarm
- Letterbox
- Doormat
- Coat hanger
- Lighter
- Bike
- Trainers
- Hot water bottle
- Air fryer
- Spare room
Food & Drink
The imposter is hungry too. Safe for any table.
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Fish and chips
- Pad Thai
- Nachos
- Doughnut
- Crisps
- Trifle
- Tea
- Squash
- Bubble tea
- Banana
- Cheese
- Steak
- Cereal
- Hummus
- Honey
- Baked beans
Places
From the dentist to the Moon.
- Beach
- School
- Gym
- Skate park
- Campsite
- Castle
- Football stadium
- Nail salon
- Motorway
- Farm
- Mountain
- Submarine
- Garden centre
- Festival
- New York
- London
- The North Pole
- A lift
Famous People
Give a clue without giving the game away.
- Taylor Swift
- Ed Sheeran
- Billie Eilish
- Donald Trump
- Prince Harry
- Serena Williams
- Gordon Ramsay
- Stephen Fry
- Kim Kardashian
- Margot Robbie
- Dwayne Johnson
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Greta Thunberg
- Shakespeare
- Freddie Mercury
- Shrek
- Mickey Mouse
- Jeremy Clarkson
Animals
Brilliant for Wrong Word. Is it a crocodile or an alligator?
- Dog
- Cow
- Chicken
- Hamster
- Fox
- Elephant
- Tiger
- Monkey
- Panda
- Lizard
- Shark
- Jellyfish
- Owl
- Flamingo
- Spider
- Camel
- Otter
- Unicorn
Movies & TV
Clues like 'it has a boat in it' will not save you.
- Titanic
- Jurassic Park
- Toy Story
- Avengers
- James Bond
- Home Alone
- Twilight
- The Office
- Stranger Things
- Squid Game
- Strictly Come Dancing
- Gogglebox
- Peaky Blinders
- Bridgerton
- Top Gear
- Bluey
- The Matrix
- Gladiator
Football Players
Legends and current stars. Name the style, not the shirt.
- Erling Haaland
- Lionel Messi
- Zinedine Zidane
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Lamine Yamal
- Son Heung-min
- Frank Lampard
- Gareth Bale
- Jamie Vardy
- Sergio Ramos
- Joshua Kimmich
- Alexander Isak
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Eric Cantona
- Bernardo Silva
- Eberechi Eze
- Mary Earps
- Rodri
Cartoons & Kids' TV
Peppa to Pikachu. Everyone knows these. That is the problem.
- Peppa Pig
- Paw Patrol
- Tom and Jerry
- Pikachu
- Elsa
- Nemo
- Paddington
- Fireman Sam
- The Gruffalo
- Moana
- Minions
- Hello Kitty
- Mr Men
- Spider-Man
- Numberblocks
- Cocomelon
- Rapunzel
- Stitch
Jobs
What do you do for a living? Say it without saying it.
- Doctor
- Chef
- Police officer
- Vet
- Footballer
- Lawyer
- Postman
- Lifeguard
- Dancer
- Librarian
- Singer
- Photographer
- Window cleaner
- Lollipop lady
- School dinner lady
- Personal trainer
- Surgeon
- Games developer
Cities
New York, Moscow, London. The big names only.
- New York City
- London
- Madrid
- Moscow
- Seoul
- Dubai
- Cape Town
- Buenos Aires
- Las Vegas
- Vienna
- Edinburgh
- Bristol
- Reykjavik
- Jerusalem
- Auckland
- Hollywood
- Zurich
- Orlando
Celebrations
Christmas to Pancake Day. Which one are you hinting at?
- Christmas
- Boxing Day
- Mother's Day
- Easter
- April Fools' Day
- Pancake Day
- Queen's Jubilee
- Halloween
- Holi
- Chinese New Year
- Wedding
- Baby shower
- Carnival
- Black Friday
- Pass the parcel
- Street party
- Christmas jumper day
- Christmas dinner
Games
Monopoly, Cluedo, Jenga. Whose turn is it?
- Monopoly
- Scrabble
- Guess Who?
- Pictionary
- Chess
- Hungry Hippos
- Trivial Pursuit
- Uno
- Backgammon
- Scattergories
- Jigsaw puzzle
- Hide and seek
- Dobble
- Codenames
- Sorry!
- Bop It
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Tic-tac-toe
Sports
The sports, and the superstars who play them.
- Football
- Golf
- Swimming
- Boxing
- Snooker
- Gymnastics
- Archery
- Volleyball
- Judo
- Usain Bolt
- Novak Djokovic
- Tiger Woods
- Simone Biles
- Jessica Ennis-Hill
- Ronnie O'Sullivan
- Ben Stokes
- Emma Raducanu
- Chris Hoy
Movie Characters
Heroes and villains from the big screen.
- Harry Potter
- Yoda
- Frodo
- James Bond
- Hulk
- Black Panther
- Simba
- Jack Dawson
- Hermione
- E.T.
- Dobby
- Marty McFly
- Paddington
- Mike Wazowski
- Groot
- Pinocchio
- Edward Scissorhands
- Po
Music
Instruments, genres and only the most famous artists.
- Guitar
- Drums
- Saxophone
- Ukulele
- Tambourine
- Tuba
- Church organ
- Hip-hop
- Classical
- Disco
- Salsa
- Elvis Presley
- Madonna
- Taylor Swift
- Elton John
- Bach
- Bruno Mars
- ABBA
Internet Brainrot
Memes, slang and things your parents do not understand.
- Rizz
- Aura
- Situationship
- Main character energy
- Girl dinner
- Roman Empire
- Touch grass
- Based
- Slay
- Girlboss
- Doomscrolling
- Clean girl
- Stan
- Lock in
- Rent free
- Core memory
- Brainrot
- Chat, is this real
Brands & Apps
Logos you could draw with your eyes shut.
- Nike
- Coca-Cola
- Amazon
- Snapchat
- Lego
- Tesco
- Nando's
- Zara
- PlayStation
- Rolex
- Cadbury
- Walkers
- Boots
- Crocs
- Gucci
- Duolingo
- Airbnb
- Lynx
Video Games
Controller down. Describe it without saying the name.
- Minecraft
- Mario Kart
- GTA
- Pokémon
- Pac-Man
- The Sims
- Rocket League
- Stardew Valley
- Skyrim
- Flappy Bird
- Hollow Knight
- Lego Star Wars
- Hades
- Kirby
- Mario Party
- Roblox obby
- Wordle
- Fruit Ninja
Songs
Hum it in your head. Don't hum it out loud.
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Happy
- Despacito
- Let It Go
- Blinding Lights
- Bad Guy
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- Rolling in the Deep
- Don't Stop Believin'
- Lose Yourself
- Cruel Summer
- As It Was
- Never Gonna Give You Up
- Mambo No. 5
- Imagine
- Hotel California
- Twinkle Twinkle
- Golden
Bar Tab
Pubs, pints and the morning after. Adults only.
- Beer
- Lager
- White wine
- Gin and tonic
- Margarita
- Whisky
- Pint of Guinness
- Pub quiz
- Hangover
- Beer garden
- Kebab at 3am
- Open mic
- Jägerbomb
- Pub crawl
- Sunday roast pub
- Cheers
- Dry January
- Dartboard
Similar-word pairs for a harder game
In the Wrong Word version, the imposter is not told they are the imposter. They get a word close to the real one, so their clues nearly fit. These pairs work well:
- Toothbrush / Hairbrush
- Fridge / Freezer
- Mirror / Window
- Headphones / Earbuds
- Sink / Bathtub
- Stapler / Hole punch
- Bookshelf / Shelf
- Bleach / Washing-up liquid
Questions people ask
What are good words for the imposter game?
Words everyone in the group knows and can describe in several ways: everyday objects, foods, places, animals, jobs and famous people. Avoid words that only one or two players will recognise.
How do you play the imposter game with words?
Everyone secretly sees the same word except the imposter. Players take turns giving a one-word clue, then the group discusses and votes on who the imposter is. The imposter wins by not being caught.
How many words do you need for a game night?
A round takes about five minutes, so twelve words covers an hour. The Fib Club app keeps track of which words you have used so nothing repeats in one sitting.