Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

back-seat driver

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.47 in modern English

Syllables: back--seat -driv-er
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

5

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An occupant of a large vehicle, such as a firetruck, who helps steer the vehicle from far in the back.

Dated

noun

A person sitting (typically) in the back seat of a car issuing (unsolicited and usually unwanted) instructions to the driver.

noun

An opinionated person who offers (unsolicited and often unwanted) advice on the best way to handle a situation.

Example Sentences

"When New York pitcher Vernon Gomez retires as a smokeballer he wants to become a smoke eater. Here he gets a tryout as a back-seat driver on a hook and ladder truck at St. Petersburg[…]"

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

back-seat drivers (plural) backseat driver (alternative)

Phrases

back seat back-seat drive back-seat gamer armchair quarterback armchair general peeping tom persona non grata nosy parker

Frequently Paired Words

back seat back-seat drive backseater back-seat gamer armchair quarterback armchair general gatecrasher interloper

Synonyms

nagavator

Questions

What does back-seat driver mean?: An occupant of a large vehicle, such as a firetruck, who helps steer the vehicle from far in the back.

How to pronounce back-seat driver

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “back-seat driver”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “back-seat driver” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.