Meaning & use
onlookers
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“onlookers” is a form of “onlooker”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
People who watch an event or incident happen without taking part in it.
Grammar: Plural of onlooker: a crowd of onlookers. A single person is an onlooker.
Patterns
- a crowd of onlookers
- onlookers gathered
A crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the firefighters.
Onlookers took photos while the street performer juggled.
The onlookers fell silent as the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
Common combinations
- crowd of onlookers
- A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene.
- curious onlookers
- Curious onlookers stood behind the tape.
- innocent onlookers
- No innocent onlookers were hurt.
- onlookers gathered
- Onlookers gathered outside the shop.
- bystanders and onlookers
- Police asked bystanders and onlookers for help.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bystanders
- Bystanders are people who happen to be nearby, while onlookers have actively gathered to watch.
- spectators
- Spectators watch a planned event such as a game, whereas onlookers often watch something unplanned.
- witnesses
- Witnesses saw something and may be asked to describe it, which is a more legal sense than onlookers.
- observers
- Observers watch in order to study or report, and sound more formal and deliberate.
Opposites
Word family
- onlooker noun
- a person who watches without taking part
- look on verb
- to watch without getting involved
- looker-on noun
- an older variant of onlooker
Commonly confused: onlookers or bystander?
onlookers vs bystander
A bystander is anyone nearby, even if not watching, while an onlooker is specifically watching.
Practice
After the car accident, ___ gathered on the pavement, but no one tried to help.
Choose one answer.
Onlookers are people who watch without taking part. Passengers would be inside the car and performers or participants would be taking part.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “onlookers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.