changeling

/ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ/
noun
  1. A child believed to have been secretly exchanged for another by fairies or supernatural beings, especially one that seems strange or unlike the parents.
    • In the old story, the parents suspected their fussy baby was a changeling left by the fairies.
    • The folklore says a changeling often looks sickly or behaves oddly compared to the real child.
    • She read a tale about a changeling who grew up in the human world but never felt like she belonged.
  2. A person or thing that seems out of place or different from what is expected, often in a surprising or unsettling way.
    • In the movie, the main character is a changeling who switches identities with a wealthy heiress.
    • The quiet town had become a changeling overnight, bustling with strangers and bright lights.
    • After his accident, he seemed like a changeling — quiet and distant, nothing like his old self.
Antonyms
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