Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

second fiddle

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.43 in modern English

Syllables: sec-ond -fid-dle
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle.

noun

The person playing second fiddle.

noun

A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

Example Sentences

"The second fiddle on that tune is almost as hard as the first fiddle."
"I've been second fiddle in that orchestra for ten years now."
"I'm tired of being your second fiddle!"
"Listen, buttercup, you're damned good in bed. They don't come any better, but I'm really not interested in playing second fiddle to your camera or your young lovers."

Inflected Forms

second fiddles (plural)

Phrases

first fiddle lead fiddle play second fiddle second banana second violin

Frequently Paired Words

fiddle first fiddle lead fiddle play second fiddle second banana second violin

Synonyms

second banana

Questions

What does second fiddle mean?: A fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle.

How to pronounce second fiddle

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “second fiddle”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “second fiddle”.
Repeat and practice — Say “second fiddle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.