bridesmaid

/ˈbraɪdzˌmeɪd/
noun
  1. A woman or girl who is part of the wedding party and helps the bride before and during the wedding ceremony.
    • Her sister was the maid of honor, and three close friends served as bridesmaids.
    • The bridesmaid helped the bride adjust her veil before walking down the aisle.
    • All the bridesmaids wore matching dresses in a soft lavender color.
  2. Someone who is always a close second but never wins or achieves the top position.
    • In the world of tech, that company is often the bridesmaid, launching great products just after the market leader.
    • She was tired of being the bridesmaid in every competition, always just missing first place.
    • The team has been the bridesmaid of the league for three years, finishing second each time.
Synonyms
What does "bridesmaid" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean