roadie

American

[roh-dee] / ˈroʊ di /

noun

Slang.

a member of a crew for a traveling group of musicians or other entertainers, whose work usually includes the setting up of equipment.

roadie British

/ ˈrəʊdɪ /

noun

informal a person who transports and sets up equipment for a band or group

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of roadie

1965–70; road (from the idiom on the road ) + -ie; analogous to groupie

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

roadie

In 1984, Kershaw first anchored the BBC's flagship TV rock programme, The Old Grey Whistle Test, having been spotted while he was working a roadie and driver for performer Billy Bragg.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

As the roadie puts it in “Wayne’s World 2,” “Keith cannot be killed by conventional weapons.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

The book is a meticulous accounting of the life of the Fab Four’s friend, roadie and personal assistant, who died in 1976 amid tragic circumstances.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2023

A roadie was summoned to hand it back to him.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 3, 2023

If Gene Johnson were to put on a black leather jacket, he could pass for a roadie with the Grateful Dead.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023