Definition
n. a trick where you ride a bicycle or motorcycle on only the back wheel. You do this by pulling up on the handlebars while you keep pedaling.
n. a stunt performed on a bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle in which the front wheel is lifted off the ground and the vehicle is ridden for a distance on the rear wheel.
Examples
“He did a wheelie to impress his friends.”
“The teenager was warned by the police after he performed a dangerous wheelie in the middle of a busy intersection.”
“Professional stunt riders demonstrate remarkable balance by maintaining a wheelie for several minutes, often incorporating additional tricks while the front of the bike remains elevated.”
Examples
simple
“He did a wheelie to impress his friends.”
contextual
“The teenager was warned by the police after he performed a dangerous wheelie in the middle of a busy intersection.”
complex
“Professional stunt riders demonstrate remarkable balance by maintaining a wheelie for several minutes, often incorporating additional tricks while the front of the bike remains elevated.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wheelie” in context.
Verb
01. pop wheelie
“The kids were showing off, trying to pop wheelies on their new mountain bikes.”
verb + noun
02. pull wheelie
“He managed to pull a wheelie right in front of the cheering crowd.”
verb + noun
03. sustain wheelie
“It takes a lot of balance to sustain a wheelie for a long distance.”
verb + noun
04. wheelie ends
“The wheelie ended abruptly when the front tire slammed back onto the pavement.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. accidental wheelie
“The rider pulled an accidental wheelie when he accelerated too hard on the start line.”
adj + noun
06. impressive wheelie
“He performed an impressive wheelie that lasted for nearly fifty meters.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. attempt at wheelie
“His first attempt at a wheelie resulted in a minor fall.”
noun + prep + noun
08. pop a massive wheelie
“The stunt driver popped a massive wheelie to start the show.”
09. ride a wheelie
“He can ride a wheelie all the way down the street without touching the ground.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verbs 'do', 'pop', or 'pull'.
Real-World Examples
“Once the road was clear, I pressed the throttle again, causing the bike to unexpectedly lift into a wheelie.” “A motorcyclist has become the first man to officially wheelie around the Isle of Man's 37-mile (60.725 km) TT course.” “Even more astonishing, this car can perform wheelies.” “Giannopoulos occasionally witnessed riders performing wheelies and other stunts in his Greenwich neighborhood.” Etymology
From wheel + -ie. The term is a 20th-century English formation, appearing as a colloquialism for the stunt of balancing a bicycle or motorcycle on its rear wheel.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/wheelie
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0