benchwarmer

/ˈbɛntʃˌwɔrmər/
noun
  1. A sports player who rarely gets to play in games and spends most of the time sitting on the bench.
    • She worked hard in practice and went from being a benchwarmer to a starter.
    • He was a benchwarmer for most of the season, only playing in the last few minutes of games.
    • The coach told the benchwarmers to stay ready in case they were needed.
  2. A person who is not actively involved in an activity or who is kept waiting for an opportunity.
    • In the group project, he felt like a benchwarmer because the others did all the work.
    • The interns were benchwarmers, hoping to get a chance to prove themselves.
    • She didn't want to be a benchwarmer in her career, so she asked for more responsibilities.
Antonyms
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