spectator

S1P3E1C3T1A1T1O1R1
UK/spɛkˈteɪtə/Canada, US/ˈspɛkteɪtɚ/Canada, US[ˈspɛkteɪɾɚ]

noun

One who watches an event; especially, an event held outdoors.

“The cheering spectators watched the fireworks.”

Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounspectator (plural spectators)

plural spectators · alternative spectatour

  1. One who watches an event; especially, an event held outdoors.

    The cheering spectators watched the fireworks.

    1 more example

    Bart spies an opportunity to make a quick buck so he channels his inner carny and posits his sinking house as a natural wonder of the world and its inhabitants as freaks, barking to dazzled spectators, “Behold the horrors of the Slanty Shanty! See the twisted creatures that dwell within! Meet Cue-Ball, the man with no hair!”

    2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 26 May 2012
  2. One who observes, sees, or views something; an observer.

    The ſpring diſplaying her elegant taſte, the proud walk of the gold-feathered pheaſant, the light tread of the ſmall-hoofed hind, and the dancing of the ſtar-trained peacock, infuſed joy into the ſoul of the ſpectator of the aſtoniſhing works of the Creator.

    1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page v

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

nouna woman's pump with medium heel; usually in contrasting colors for toe and heel

Similar
spectator pump
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinspectātor
  2. Englishspectator

Borrowed from Latin spectātor, from frequentative verb spectō (“watch”), from speciō (“look at”). Equivalent to spectate + -or. Doublet of speculator.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek θεατής
  • θεατής (theatḗs)observer
Arabic مُشَاهِد, رَاءٍ
  • مُشَاهِد (mušāhid)observer
  • رَاءٍ (rāʔin)observer
  • مُتَفَرِّج (mutafarrij)observer
  • نَاظِر (nāẓir)observer
  • نَاظِرَة (nāẓira)observer
Basque ikusle
  • ikusleobserver
Bengali দর্শক
  • দর্শক (dorśok)observer
Bulgarian зри́тел, зри́телка
  • зри́тел (zrítel)observer
  • зри́телка (zrítelka)observer
Catalan espectador
  • espectadorobserver
Chinese Mandarin 旁觀者 /旁观者, 觀眾 /观众
  • 旁觀者 /旁观者 (pángguānzhě)observer
  • 觀眾 /观众 (guānzhòng)observer
Czech divák, divačka
  • divákobserver
  • divačkaobserver
Danish tilskuer, seer
  • tilskuerobserver
  • seerobserver
Dutch toeschouwer, kijker
  • toeschouwerobserver
  • kijkerobserver
Esperanto spektanto
  • spektantoobserver
Estonian pealtvaataja, vaatleja
  • pealtvaatajaobserver
  • vaatlejaobserver
Finnish katsoja, sivustakatsoja
  • katsojaobserver
  • sivustakatsojaobserver
French spectateur, spectatrice
  • spectateurobserver
  • spectatriceobserver
  • badaudobserver
  • badaudeobserver
German Zuschauer, Zuschauerin
  • Zuschauerobserver
  • Zuschauerinobserver
  • Schaulustigerobserver
  • Schaulustigeobserver
  • Zuseherobserver
  • Zuseherinobserver
Greek θεατής
  • θεατής (theatís)observer
Hindi दर्शक, ईक्षक
  • दर्शक (darśak)observer
  • ईक्षक (īkṣak)observer
  • देखनेवाला (dekhnevālā)observer
Hungarian megfigyelő, nézelődő
  • megfigyelőobserver
  • nézelődőobserver
  • nézőobserver
Icelandic áhorfandi
  • áhorfandiobserver
Indonesian penonton
  • penontonobserver
Italian spettatore, spettatrice
  • spettatoreobserver
  • spettatriceobserver
Japanese 観客, 見物人
  • 観客 (kankyaku)observer
  • 見物人 (kenbutsunin)observer
  • 傍観者 (bōkansha)observer
Korean 관객, 관람객
  • 관객 (gwan'gaek)observer
  • 관람객 (gwallamgaek)observer
  • 관람인 (gwallamin)observer
  • 관람자 (gwallamja)observer
  • 방관자 (banggwanja)observer
  • 구경꾼 (gugyeongkkun)observer
  • 구경군 (gugyeonggun)observer
Latin spectātor, spectātrix
  • spectātorobserver
  • spectātrixobserver
Latvian skatītājs, skatītāja
  • skatītājsobserver
  • skatītājaobserver
Lithuanian žiūrovas, žiūrovė
  • žiūrovasobserver
  • žiūrovėobserver
Malay penonton
  • penontonobserver
Māori kaimātakitaki
  • kaimātakitakiobserver
Norwegian Bokmål tilskuer
  • tilskuerobserver
Polish widz
  • widzobserver
Portuguese espectador
  • espectadorobserver
Punjabi ਤਮਾਸ਼ਬੀਨ
  • ਤਮਾਸ਼ਬੀਨ (tamāśbīn)observer
Romanian spectator, spectatoare
  • spectatorobserver
  • spectatoareobserver
  • privitorobserver
  • privitoareobserver
  • martor ocularobserver
Russian зри́тель, зри́тельница
  • зри́тель (zrítelʹ)observer
  • зри́тельница (zrítelʹnica)observer
  • наблюда́тель (nabljudátelʹ)observer
  • наблюда́тельница (nabljudátelʹnica)observer
  • зева́ка (zeváka)observer
Slovak divák, diváčka
  • divákobserver
  • diváčkaobserver
Spanish espectador
  • espectadorobserver
Swahili mshabiki
  • mshabikiobserver
Swedish åskådare, tittare
  • åskådareobserver
  • tittareobserver
Thai คนดู, ผู้ดู
  • คนดู (kon-duu)observer
  • ผู้ดู (pûu-duu)observer
  • ผู้ชม (pûu-chom)observer
Turkish seyirci
  • seyirciobserver
Ukrainian гляда́ч, гляда́чка
  • гляда́ч (hljadáč)observer
  • гляда́чка (hljadáčka)observer
Urdu تَماشائی, تَماش بِین
  • تَماشائی (tamāśāī)observer
  • تَماش بِین (tamāś bīn)observer
Vietnamese người xem, khán giả
  • người xemobserver
  • khán giảobserver

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with spectator

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

spectator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spectator

MLA

“spectator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spectator. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spectator,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spectator.

Source: spectator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.