vicarious
Felt by watching or hearing about what happens to someone else, rather than doing it yourself.
vicarious in a sentence
- Reading adventure stories gives me a vicarious thrill of danger.
- Grandma enjoyed our holiday in a vicarious way, looking at all our photos.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to vicarious?
- Adirect
- Bfirst-hand
- Cpersonal
- Dsecond-hand
Show the answer
D: second-hand. The other three mean the opposite of vicarious.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to vicarious?
- Afirst-hand
- Bsecond-hand
- Cborrowed
Show the answer
A: first-hand. The other three mean nearly the same as vicarious.
Words that mean something similar
second-hand, borrowed
Words that mean the opposite
first-hand, direct, personal
More words about emotions & feelings
- weary: Very tired after long effort.
- wistful: Quietly sad because you are longing for something you cannot have.
- woe: A feeling of deep sadness or big trouble.
- wrath: Very great anger.
- wretched: Very unhappy, or in a very poor and miserable state.
- yearn: To want something so much that it almost hurts.
- zest: A feeling of great enjoyment and enthusiasm.
- affectionate: Showing love and fondness in a warm, caring way.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test