benchwarmer

or bench warm·er, bench-warm·er

[ bench-wawr-mer ]
See synonyms for: benchwarmerbenchwarmers on Thesaurus.com

nounSports.
  1. a substitute who rarely gets to play in a game.

Origin of benchwarmer

1
First recorded in 1890–95; bench + warmer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use benchwarmer in a sentence

  • He may not even be called a bench-warmer—the bench is already warm.

    Prowling about Panama | George A. Miller