onlooker

noun

on·​look·​er ˈȯn-ˌlu̇-kər How to pronounce onlooker (audio)
ˈän-
: one that looks on
especially : a passive spectator
onlooking adjective

Examples of onlooker in a Sentence

Curious onlookers watched the ceremony. An onlooker noticed the disturbance. A crowd of onlookers gathered at the fire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Former education secretaries warn of predatory colleges Some of the onlookers most concerned about the Education Department's future are its former leaders. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025 The Paris collection was not just a show but a scene: outside, hundreds of live-streaming onlookers, many dressed in the previous season’s Loewe, bayed at the arrival of V.I.P. guests. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025 On a September morning in 1914 a pert and pretty 21-year-old girl from Spokane, Washington, put her horse into what hundreds of onlookers regarded as a somewhat hazardous climb. Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 Mar. 2025 Every year as part of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, thousands of onlookers clad in green cheer on a boat crew sprinkling orange powder into the Chicago River to turn it a festive shade. Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for onlooker

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of onlooker was in 1606

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Cite this Entry

“Onlooker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onlooker. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

onlooker

noun
on·​look·​er ˈȯn-ˌlu̇k-ər How to pronounce onlooker (audio)
ˈän-

More from Merriam-Webster on onlooker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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