# play second fiddle

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.

## Etymology
From the second violin in an orchestra.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/play-second-fiddle