Meanings
nounthird wheel (plural third wheels)
plural third wheels · alternative 3rd wheel
- idiomaticA third party, usually unwanted, accompanying two people on a date.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see third, wheel.
Synonyms: fifth wheel, gooseberry, spare wheel
verbthird wheel (third-person singular simple present third wheels, present participle third wheeling, simple past and past participle third wheeled)
present singular third person third wheels · participle present third wheeling · participle past third wheeled · past third wheeled · alternative 3rd wheel
- alternativeAlternative form of third-wheel.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see third, wheel.
Also see
Translations
Chinese Cantonese 電燈膽 /电灯胆
- 電燈膽 /电灯胆unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Chinese Mandarin 電燈泡 /电灯泡, 電燈泡 /电灯泡
- 電燈泡 /电灯泡 (diàndēngpào)person or thing that serves no useful purpose
- 電燈泡 /电灯泡 (diàndēngpào)unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Dutch vijfde wiel aan de wagen, vijfde rad aan de wagen
- vijfde wiel aan de wagenperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
- vijfde rad aan de wagenperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
Finnish painolasti, kolmas pyörä
- painolastiperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
- kolmas pyöräunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
French tenir la chandelle, cinquième roue du carrosse
- tenir la chandelleunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- cinquième roue du carrosseunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
German fünftes Rad am Wagen
- fünftes Rad am Wagenperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
Hebrew גלגל שלישי
- גלגל שלישי (galgál shlishí)unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Hindi कबाब में हड्डी, कबाब में हड्डी
- कबाब में हड्डी (kabāb mẽ haḍḍī)person or thing that serves no useful purpose
- कबाब में हड्डी (kabāb mẽ haḍḍī)unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Hungarian harmadik kerék, gyertyatartó
- harmadik kerékperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
- gyertyatartóunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- harmadik kerékunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Indonesian obat nyamuk
- obat nyamukunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Irish éan corr
- éan corrunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Italian ultima ruota del carro, terzo incomodo
- ultima ruota del carroperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
- terzo incomodounwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Polish piąte koło u wozu, przyzwoitka
- piąte koło u wozuperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
- przyzwoitkaunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- piąte koło u wozuunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Portuguese vela
- velaunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Romanian a cincea roată la căruță
- a cincea roată la căruțăperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
Russian третий лишний, тре́тий ли́шний
- третий лишний (tretij lišnij)person or thing that serves no useful purpose
- тре́тий ли́шний (trétij líšnij)unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Spanish cero a la izquierda, sujetavelas
- cero a la izquierdaperson or thing that serves no useful purpose
- sujetavelasunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- mal terciounwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- sapounwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- violinistaunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- chaperónunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- paletaunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- lamparitaunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- sujetaciriosunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Swedish tredje hjul
- tredje hjulunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Vietnamese trà xanh, tiểu tam
- trà xanhunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- tiểu tamunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- người thứ baunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
- con giáp thứ 13unwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Welsh olwyn sbâr
- olwyn sbârunwanted third party accompanying two people on a date
Cite this entry
APA
third wheel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/third%20wheel
MLA
“third wheel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/third%20wheel. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “third wheel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/third%20wheel.
Source: third wheel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.