poser
poser Lexical Profile
poser Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who acts in an affected or insincere manner in order to impress others or fit in with a particular group.
"The veteran skaters quickly dismissed the newcomer as a poser who only carried a board for fashion."
A baffling or perplexing question, problem, or dilemma that is difficult to solve.
"How to fund the infrastructure project without raising municipal taxes remains a real poser for the city council."
A person who poses as a subject for a painter, sculptor, or photographer.
"The portrait photographer gave clear instructions to help the nervous poser relax in front of the camera."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to an insincere person who puts on an act, 'poser' is an informal variant of the French-derived 'poseur'. However, in the sense of a baffling question or puzzle, only the spelling 'poser' is correct.
• Rhymes for poser
Word Origin & Etymology
In the sense of a difficult question, the word dates to the late 16th century from the verb 'pose' (originally shortened from 'appose', meaning to examine or interrogate). The sense of a pretentious person emerged in the late 19th century from 'pose' (to assume an attitude) combined with the agent suffix '-er', influenced by French 'poseur'.