I'm searching for a word to describe a person who always steals credit of others and always hails himself/herself as the best.
Rulers of countries are generally portrayed with such a character. They have a fragile ego too.
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Does this answer your question? Passing off other people's accomplishments as one's own– FumbleFingersCommented Feb 25, 2023 at 13:40
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There isn't a single word that combines all of these character traits. Someone who fraudulently passes off the work of others as their own can be called a plagiarist. As for the other character traits, perhaps egotist or narcissist.– Billy KerrCommented Feb 25, 2023 at 13:54
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@FumbleFingers That duplicate is asking for a word describing the act the person in this question does, not a word describing the person.– ColleenVCommented Mar 3, 2023 at 13:37
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@ColleenV: The accepted verb answer there trivially generates the "agent" noun appropriator.– FumbleFingersCommented Mar 4, 2023 at 3:54
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1@FumbleFingers Which is not a good description of the person described in this question, and the way your proposed duplicate question is posed is unlikely to lead to answers that would also work for this question. It’s not a good dupe target in my opinion. I quit my job because my boss was a narcissistic appropriator. isn’t how people would normally phrase it.– ColleenVCommented Mar 4, 2023 at 17:00
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2 Answers
Depending on the particular context (e.g. formal/informal, neutral/derogatory, etc.), audience, and desired point of emphasis, words that might be considered include:
- plagiarist
- copycat
- narcissist
- fraudster
- swindler
- perjurer
- deceiver
- cheater
- intellectual-property thief
- pirate
- imposter
- charlatan
- pretender
- hypocrite
- shammer
- poser
- masker / masquer
- imitator
- mimic
- con-man / con artist
Check the dictionary of your choice for the specific nuance of each of these to find the best fit for your application.
This doesn't include the idea of "stealing credit," but you could call such a person egotistical, defined by MW as:
having, showing, or arising from an exaggerated sense of self-importance
