Meanings
present singular third person understudies · participle present understudying · participle past understudied · past understudied
- transitiveTo act as an understudy (to someone).
plural understudies
- A performer who understudies; a standby for a study.
For Wynne-Edwards, the role of the outcasts in the welfare of the group is to wait in the wings as understudies, ready to step into the shoes of any territory holder who dies on the main stage of group reproduction.
1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, pages 153–154Synonyms: standby
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA performer who understudies; a standby for a study.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan actor able to replace a regular performer when required
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
- Proto-Germanic*under
- Proto-West Germanic*undar
- Old Englishunder-
- Middle Englishunder-
- Englishunder-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)tew-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)tewd-
- Proto-Indo-European*studéh₁ti
- Proto-Italic*studēō
- Latinstudeō
- Latinstudium
- Old Frenchestudie
- Old Frenchestudier
- Middle Englishstudien
- Englishstudy
- Englishunderstudy
Translations
Bulgarian дублирам, дубльор
- дублирам (dubliram)to act as an understudy
- дубльор (dubljor)performer who understudies
Finnish varanäyttelijä
- varanäyttelijäperformer who understudies
French doubler, doublure
- doublerto study or know a role to such an extent as to be able to replace the normal performer when required
- doublureperformer who understudies
German Einspringer, Zweitbesetzung
- Einspringerperformer who understudies
- Zweitbesetzungperformer who understudies
Hungarian beugrik (helyette), helyettesít
- beugrik (helyette)to act as an understudy
- helyettesítto act as an understudy
Irish aisteoir ionaid
- aisteoir ionaidperformer who understudies
Italian sostituire, doppio
- sostituireto act as an understudy
- doppioperformer who understudies
Māori piki
- pikiperformer who understudies
Polish uczyć się roli jako dubler, pracować jako dubler
- uczyć się roli jako dublerto study or know a role to such an extent as to be able to replace the normal performer when required
- pracować jako dublerto act as an understudy
- dublerperformer who understudies
- dublerkaperformer who understudies
Portuguese substituto, substituta
- substitutoperformer who understudies
- substitutaperformer who understudies
Romanian dubla, înlocui
- dublato study or know a role to such an extent as to be able to replace the normal performer when required
- înlocuito act as an understudy
- substituito act as an understudy
- dublurăperformer who understudies
Russian вы́учить роль, дубли́ровать
- вы́учить роль (výučitʹ rolʹ)to study or know a role to such an extent as to be able to replace the normal performer when required
- дубли́ровать (dublírovatʹ)to act as an understudy
- заменя́ть (zamenjátʹ)to act as an understudy
- замеща́ть (zameščátʹ)to act as an understudy
- дублёр (dubljór)performer who understudies
Spanish suplantar, suplente
- suplantarto act as an understudy
- suplenteperformer who understudies
Cite this entry
understudy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/understudy
“understudy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/understudy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “understudy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/understudy.
Source: understudy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.