Idiom
play second fiddle
Meaning
To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I am tired of playing second fiddle to my brother.”
“She is a talented manager, but she refuses to play second fiddle to anyone in the company.”
“Despite his significant contributions to the project, he found himself forced to play second fiddle to the new director during the final presentation.”
Examples
simple
“I am tired of playing second fiddle to my brother.”
contextual
“She is a talented manager, but she refuses to play second fiddle to anyone in the company.”
complex
“Despite his significant contributions to the project, he found himself forced to play second fiddle to the new director during the final presentation.”
Origin
From the second violin in an orchestra, the member of the section tasked with the subordinate, supporting part rather than the melody played by the first violin.
Key words
Related idioms
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