# vicarious

/vaɪˈkɛɹiəs/ (US) · /vɪkˈeəɹɪəs/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/vicarious
Updated: 2026-10-07

## Definition

experienced by watching or reading about someone else rather than doing it yourself. You feel these emotions through another person's actions.

For teachers: experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person. Often describes pleasure or excitement felt by one person when they see someone else succeed.

## Examples

- She gets a vicarious thrill from watching her daughter win races.
- Many people enjoy travel documentaries because they provide a vicarious experience of visiting places they might never see in person.
- The novelist's greatest gift was her ability to evoke a vicarious sense of adventure, allowing readers to inhabit the lives of explorers from the safety of their own homes.

## Synonyms

indirect, secondhand, mediate

## Antonyms

direct, personal, firsthand

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun like 'thrill', 'pleasure', or 'satisfaction'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.