understudy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
understudies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
understudied,
past participle, past
-
understudying
present participle
-
to learn (a role) in order to replace the regular actor or actress when necessary.
-
to act as understudy to (an actor or actress).
to understudy the lead.
verb (used without object)
-
understudies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
understudied,
past participle, past
-
understudying
present participle
noun
-
understudies
plural
verb
-
(tr) to study (a role or part) so as to be able to replace the usual actor or actress if necessary
-
to act as understudy to (an actor or actress)
noun
-
an actor or actress who studies a part so as to be able to replace the usual actor or actress if necessary
-
anyone who is trained to take the place of another in case of need
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
understudysimple
-
understudiessimple
-
have understudiedperfect
-
has understudiedperfect
-
am understudyingprogressive
-
are understudyingprogressive
-
is understudyingprogressive
-
have been understudyingperfect progressive
-
has been understudyingperfect progressive
Past
-
understudiedsimple
-
had understudiedperfect
-
was understudyingprogressive
-
were understudyingprogressive
-
had been understudyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of understudy
Explanation
In the theater, an understudy is a backup or alternate for another actor in the play. If the lead in the school play comes down with the flu, her understudy will have a chance to perform the starring role. The show must go on (as they say in show business)—which is why an understudy has an important job. He or she has to learn every line and be ready to fill at the last minute. You can also use this word as a verb, so you might say, "I'm going to understudy the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton!" An understudy often plays a smaller role in the play as well, filling in for main roles as needed.
Vocabulary lists containing understudy
Theater - Introductory
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Theater - Middle School
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Theater - High School
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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:
I was cast as an understudy on the soap opera “One Life to Live.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Gardner’s wife, Emily Larger, is in the ensemble and serves as assistant dance captain, as well as an understudy for Mrs. Potts and Madame de l’Amour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
The other goalkeepers in England's World Cup squad were Nottingham Forest's Dean Henderson - who was probably regarded as Pickford's understudy as he played in the third-place play-off - and James Trafford of Manchester City.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Ashley Cole was cemented as England's first-choice left-back for the 2010 World Cup, but who would go to South Africa as his understudy?
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
I was too, but mostly because Mr. Gregory had promised that if I stayed on as understudy, he would find another actor—actress—to play Helen Burns until Lil came back.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
Also displaying massive versatility is Summer Severin, who, in addition to being an ensemble swing member, serves as dance captain and understudies the role of Marlena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
England have already lost Will Stuart and Asher Opoku-Fordjour for the Six Nations leaving Vilikesa 'Billy' Sela and Trevor Davison, who have three caps between them, as understudies to Joe Heyes at tight-head.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026
Viewers watch as Jeanine intellectualizes each character’s motivations and inner thoughts, dictating them to the performers onstage and their understudies.
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2025
His understudies, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman, are arguably better than any other goalie in the tournament.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2025
To this essential personnel of the church choir there may be added others, supplements or understudies for this or that musical part, young men with large cameo pins in their cravats, young women with spectacles.
From The Broken Gate A Novel by Emerson Hough
She said it is too new and understudied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
"This discovery highlights the understudied biodiversity of the upper Dadu River," the researchers wrote in their report, published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2025
He recently analysed just how understudied most other bacteria have been relative to E. coli.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025
Tudge selected this specialty precisely because it is so understudied.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025
A successful soloist at Friday rehearsal may be found incompetent by Sunday, so that all solo work is carefully understudied.
From The Boy's Voice A Book of Practical Information on The Training of Boys' Voices For Church Choirs, &c. by John Spencer Curwen
Although Parker didn’t land the role of Lola when he auditioned for the Toby’s production, the experience of understudying the part and playing one of Lola’s backing dancers left a lasting impact.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 15, 2023
Now graduated, Shavit-Lonstein works two day jobs while “swinging” — understudying multiple roles — in “Winnie the Pooh” at StoryBook Theater in Kirkland.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 6, 2022
It was there where Poitier was given the role of understudying Harry Belafonte in "Days of our Youth."
From Fox News ● Jan. 7, 2022
Shortly after graduating from Pace University’s performing arts program in 2017, Reid joined “Hamilton” on Broadway, playing the ensemble role of Man Six and later understudying multiple major roles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2021
She was understudying Martha, too, when anyone was sick in the town, and needed nursing or a helping hand.
From The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
