understudy
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
noun
verb
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(tr) to study (a role or part) so as to be able to replace the usual actor or actress if necessary
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to act as understudy to (an actor or actress)
noun
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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
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understudysimple
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understudiessimple
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have understudiedperfect
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has understudiedperfect
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am understudyingprogressive
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are understudyingprogressive
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is understudyingprogressive
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have been understudyingperfect progressive
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has been understudyingperfect progressive
Past
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understudiedsimple
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had understudiedperfect
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was understudyingprogressive
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were understudyingprogressive
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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:
Martyn went to two football World Cups - in 1998 and 2002 - but was understudy to David Seaman so did not make an appearance at either tournament.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
Reece James is the England number one but Livramento is a very good understudy.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
Simply going to the Games as an understudy to Chen’s leading role would have been valuable experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
He snatched provisional top spot in beautiful, sunny conditions, but could only watch with bated breath as his understudy took to the start hut.
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
Things get complicated when a pronoun, like any good understudy, takes on different guises, depending on the roles it plays in the sentence.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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
“So what you’re looking at is three of the understudies that get to make their debut on Broadway today. And we will just be putting the four up in place sometime next week.”
From Washington Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
To the rest of the creation belong only weak imitations of the understudies.
From The Majesty of Calmness; individual problems and posibilities by Jordan, William George
She said it is too new and understudied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
But the particulars of Arthur Liu’s pathway—single father by choice via surrogacy—have been largely understudied and, despite those high-profile examples, receive little public attention.
From Slate ● Feb. 23, 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
As it turned out, however, Herr Sturm most obligingly understudied for me....
From Red Masquerade by Vance, Louis Joseph
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 Belafonte in "Days of our Youth."
From Fox News ● Jan. 8, 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 had been engaged, in my little drama, for the part of "leading juvenile," with the privilege of understudying the heroine.
From The Princess Passes by Williamson, A. M. (Alice Muriel)
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.
