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Hard and difficult Imposter words, with clues

These 106 hard Imposter words, from nostalgia to alarm, are tricky to clue well, so the crew has to be precise and the Imposter has room to blend in.

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106 hard Imposter words and clues

On a hard word, the subtle clues are the real test: say one that only fits if you know the word. The obvious clues show what would give it away.

Abstract ideas

  1. Nostalgia

    looking back, warm feeling, bittersweet

    old photos, childhood, reunion

    good old days, memory lane

  2. Déjà vu

    strange feeling, brief, eerie

    happened before, familiar moment, repeat

    French phrase, seen this before

  3. Procrastination

    later, couch, excuses

    deadline, last minute, scrolling

    putting it off, tomorrow

  4. Luck

    chance, fingers crossed, random

    horseshoe, dice, wishbone

    four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot

  5. Patience

    virtue, calm, queue

    waiting, slow, deep breath

    don't rush, wait your turn

  6. Silence

    golden, awkward, pause

    library, hush, mute

    no sound, quiet

  7. Curiosity

    questions, explore, child

    cat, why, peek

    wanting to know, nosy

  8. Imagination

    children, creative, mind

    daydream, pretend, invent

    make believe, dreaming up

  9. Balance

    steady, yoga, scale

    tightrope, wobble, gymnast

    one foot, not falling

  10. Courage

    heart, fear, hero

    standing up, dare, lion

    bravery, bold

  11. Freedom

    open road, choice, birds

    flag, escape, broken chains

    liberty, independence

  12. Boredom

    rainy day, long, waiting room

    yawning, sigh, staring

    nothing to do, so dull

  13. Friendship

    years, loyal, sleepovers

    trust, bracelet, inside jokes

    best buddy, pals

  14. Coincidence

    surprising, chance, odd

    same moment, same shirt, random meeting

    small world, fluke

  15. Ambition

    future, drive, hungry

    climbing, career, ladder

    big goals, dream big

  16. Inspiration

    spark, sudden, artist

    muse, idea, motivation

    lightbulb moment, aha

  17. Karma

    balance, fate, cosmic

    comes back, good deeds, payback

    what goes around, deserved it

Words with two meanings

  1. Bark

    rough, outside, cinnamon

    cork, moss, carved initials

    tree skin, trunk covering

  2. Spring

    fresh start, rainy, cleaning

    blossom, lambs, Easter

    after winter, March

  3. Pitch

    throw, curve, speed

    mound, catcher, strike zone

    fastball, baseball throw

  4. Crane

    tall, yellow, swinging

    construction, hook, skyline

    lifting, building site

  5. Bow

    curved, string, wood

    arrow, aim, target

    archer, Robin Hood

  6. Match

    tiny stick, wooden, box

    strike, red tip, scratch

    light a fire, flame

  7. Ring

    round, gold, sparkle

    finger, diamond, one knee

    engagement, wedding

  8. Bank

    edge, muddy, grassy

    fishing, reeds, picnic

    riverside, water's edge

  9. Trunk

    back, dark, closed

    luggage, spare tire, groceries

    car boot, hatchback

  10. Jam

    stuck, slow, honking

    rush hour, brake lights, road works

    traffic, gridlock

  11. Fan

    loyal, cheering, poster

    stadium, jersey, face paint

    autograph, follower

  12. Pupil

    small, black, widens

    dark circle, iris, bright light

    eye, eyeball

  13. Scale

    numbers, morning, step on

    bathroom, kitchen, balance

    weight, pounds

  14. Palm

    flat, sweaty, lines

    fortune teller, high five, clap

    inside your hand, open hand

  15. Mint

    fresh, green, leaves

    garden, tea, lamb sauce

    toothpaste flavor, gum

  16. Club

    swing, metal, long

    bag, tee, iron

    golf, hole in one

  17. Organ

    Sunday, loud, wedding

    pipes, pedals, keyboard

    church music, hymns

  18. Date

    nervous, flowers, outfit

    dinner for two, candlelight, movie night

    romance, asked out

Science and nature

  1. Gravity

    always there, invisible, heavy

    falling, apple, weight

    Newton, what goes up

  2. Eclipse

    rare, darkness, daytime

    shadow, totality, special glasses

    moon covers sun, blocked sun

  3. Magnet

    attraction, invisible pull, opposites

    metal, poles, compass

    fridge door, sticks to steel

  4. Echo

    repeat, empty, delay

    cave, canyon, bouncing

    hello hello, your own voice

  5. Fossil

    old, buried, museum

    rock, shell, digging

    dinosaur bones, T-rex skeleton

  6. Tide

    twice daily, pull, beach

    moon, shore, waves

    high and low, coming in

  7. Thunder

    loud, rumble, booming

    storm, clouds, scared dog

    after lightning, crack

  8. Photosynthesis

    green, leaves, energy

    sunlight, oxygen, chlorophyll

    plants make food, plants eating light

  9. Evaporation

    disappearing, puddle, slow

    heat, steam, drying

    water to vapor, water cycle

  10. Constellation

    night, ancient, map

    pattern, Orion, connect the dots

    star shapes, Big Dipper

  11. Black Hole

    dark, mystery, heavy

    far away, event horizon, gravity

    pulls in light, nothing escapes

  12. Atom

    tiny, building block, invisible

    everything, electrons, nucleus

    protons, smallest piece

  13. Static

    crackle, invisible, winter

    dry air, sweater, door handle

    balloon on hair, tiny shock

  14. Coral Reef

    colorful, fragile, alive

    warm water, snorkel, clownfish

    Great Barrier, underwater garden

  15. Aurora

    rare, green, cold

    night sky, glowing, Iceland

    northern lights, dancing lights

  16. Hibernation

    slow, winter, cozy

    cave, fat stores, months

    bears sleeping, long nap

  17. Migration

    journey, instinct, every year

    seasons, V shape, flock

    birds flying south, geese

  18. Camouflage

    hidden, sneaky, nature

    blend in, chameleon, stripes

    army pattern, can't see me

Places and landmarks

  1. Observatory

    night, hilltop, quiet

    dome, astronomers, stars

    telescope, stargazing

  2. Canal

    narrow, still water, man-made

    locks, barge, towpath

    Venice, gondola

  3. Glacier

    slow, ancient, blue

    ice, mountain, crevasse

    melting, frozen river

  4. Lagoon

    calm, tropical, sheltered

    shallow, reef, sandbar

    blue water, island pool

  5. Harbor

    busy, seagulls, ropes

    boats, pier, anchor

    dock, port

  6. Vineyard

    hills, sunny, harvest

    rows, barrels, tasting

    grapes, wine

  7. Planetarium

    dark, school trip, reclining seats

    dome ceiling, projector, galaxy

    fake stars, indoor night sky

  8. Botanical Garden

    greenhouse, quiet, paths

    Latin names, cactus, orchids

    plant collection, flowers everywhere

  9. Oasis

    rare, relief, mirage

    palm trees, camel, sand

    desert water, green spot

  10. Canyon

    deep, echo, river below

    red rock, cliffs, hiking

    Grand, gorge

  11. Peninsula

    coast, map, pointing

    almost an island, Florida, Italy

    land into sea, jutting land

  12. Windmill

    breezy, old, tall

    Holland, flour, tulips

    turning blades, spinning sails

  13. Cathedral

    huge, stone, echoing

    stained glass, spire, bells

    bishop, big church

  14. Swamp

    muddy, wet, smelly

    humid, reeds, mosquitoes

    alligators, bog

  15. Tunnel

    dark, long, headlights

    drilled through, train, mountain

    underground road, light at end

  16. Monastery

    quiet, peaceful, bells

    hills, prayer, robes

    monks, abbey

  17. Space Station

    floating, silent, crew

    astronauts, modules, zero gravity

    orbit, ISS

  18. Embassy

    flag, official, gates

    passport help, visa, foreign

    ambassador, consulate

Jobs and skills

  1. Ventriloquist

    voice, talent, lips

    stage, dummy, comedy

    puppet, talking doll

  2. Cartographer

    drawing, explorer, scale

    compass, borders, coastline

    map maker, atlas

  3. Lighthouse Keeper

    lonely, night shift, stormy

    coast, foghorn, ships

    beam, rocky shore

  4. Locksmith

    tools, van, late night

    keys, spare, cutting

    can't get in, picking

  5. Beekeeper

    suit, gentle, smoke

    hive, veil, gloves

    honey, stings

  6. Lifeguard

    whistle, red, tall chair

    summer job, float, sunscreen

    rescue, saves swimmers

  7. Translator

    words, travel, dictionary

    two languages, meetings, subtitles

    interpreter, bilingual

  8. Architect

    sketches, design, ruler

    plans, buildings, scale model

    blueprints, house designer

  9. Juggler

    hands, focus, street

    circus, clubs, pins

    balls in air, tossing

  10. Magician

    secret, sleeve, cards

    stage, wand, assistant

    rabbit hat, abracadabra

  11. Auctioneer

    fast talking, crowd, antiques

    paddles, gavel, bidding

    sold, going going gone

  12. Lumberjack

    outdoors, beard, strong

    plaid shirt, logs, timber

    axe, chopping trees

  13. Tailor

    measure, precise, chalk

    needle, tape, hem

    suit fitting, sewing

  14. Referee

    fair, running, stripes

    rules, foul, offside

    red card, blows the whistle

  15. Archaeologist

    patient, hat, ruins

    brush, pottery, dig site

    digging up history, ancient bones

  16. Calligraphy

    patience, art, slow

    ink, nib, invitations

    fancy writing, beautiful letters

  17. Knitting

    cozy, grandma, slow

    yarn, scarf, wool

    needles, purl

  18. Origami

    careful, square, quiet

    folding, Japan, creases

    paper crane, folded animals

Everyday things

  1. Receipt

    paper, crumpled, faded

    long, cashier, refund

    proof of purchase, itemized

  2. Shadow

    silent, flat, gray

    follows you, sunlight, puppets

    dark outline, silhouette

  3. Password

    secret, forgotten, private

    letters and numbers, asterisks, reset

    login, sign in

  4. Wi-Fi

    invisible, slow, everywhere

    router, network name, café

    signal bars, internet

  5. Doorbell

    button, sound, front

    visitor, delivery, camera

    ding dong, someone's here

  6. Sticky Note

    small square, fridge, desk

    reminder, adhesive, monitor

    yellow paper, peel off

  7. Charger

    cable, plug, borrowed

    overnight, outlet, white cord

    low battery, phone power

  8. Calendar

    months, planning, squares

    wall, appointments, flipping

    dates, December

  9. Thermostat

    arguments, dial, wall

    hallway, degrees, heating

    temperature, climate control

  10. Barcode

    lines, black and white, numbers

    scanner, label, product

    beep at checkout, supermarket scan

  11. Traffic Light

    three, waiting, pole

    corner, intersection, stop

    red amber green, go signal

  12. Bookmark

    thin, ribbon, tassel

    page, novel, halfway

    saving your place, where I stopped

  13. Hiccup

    sudden, involuntary, sound

    annoying, glass of water, scare

    hold your breath, can't stop

  14. Yawn

    tired, boredom, morning

    contagious, stretch, sleepy

    open mouth, big breath

  15. Lost and Found

    box, forgotten, umbrellas

    school office, single gloves, reception

    missing items, claim it

  16. Voicemail

    beep, missed, greeting

    later, inbox, phone

    leave a message, unheard call

  17. Alarm

    early, loud, beeping

    snooze, bedside, phone

    wake up, ringing

How to use this collection

Why these words are hard

A word is hard in Imposter when it has many ways in and many near neighbours. Abstract ideas have no shape to point at, words with two meanings split the table, and everyday things are easy to know but hard to sum up in one clue. That gives the Imposter more room to bluff.

How to play a hard round

The quickest way to play is to open the free CardYard game: it deals the secret word, picks the Imposter in secret and runs the timer on one phone. For a whole round built around a topic like this one, Premium custom themes write a fresh word list from anything you type. No phone at the table? Write one word from this page on a slip for every player except one, leave that slip blank for the Imposter, then fold and shuffle.

Make the game harder in CardYard

Turn on Undercover under Game modes: the Imposter gets a similar word from the same theme and does not know it, so their clues almost fit. From 5 players you can add a second Imposter as well.

Keep hard rounds fair

Skip any word that half the table has never heard of, since a word nobody can clue is not hard, just stuck. If the crew keeps getting fooled, let everyone give a second clue before the vote.

Questions, answered

What are hard words for the Imposter game?

Hard Imposter words are ones that are easy to know but tricky to clue, such as nostalgia, bark, gravity and observatory. This page has 106 of them in 6 groups, each with 8 clues from subtle to obvious.

What is the hardest way to play Imposter?

Use hard words and turn on Undercover, so the Imposter gets a similar word and does not know they are the Imposter. Adding a second Imposter makes the vote harder still.

Can I play these hard words in the CardYard game?

The free game deals words from its own five themes. For a hard round, use a Premium custom theme: type a topic such as abstract ideas and CardYard writes a fresh word list for it. You can also write words from this page on slips.