a person who watches something that is happening but is not involved in it synonym bystander A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the accident. Thesauruswitness
- observer
- onlooker
- passerby
- bystander
- eyewitness
- witness a person who sees something happen and is able to describe it to other people; a person who gives evidence in a court of law:Police are seeking witnesses to the accident.
- observer a person who watches something happen:According to observers, the election was peaceful and fair.
- onlooker a person who watches something that is happening but is not involved in it:A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the accident.
- passerby a person who is going past someone or something by chance, especially when something unexpected happens:Police asked passersby if they had witnessed the robbery.
- bystander a person who is near and can see what is happening when something such as an accident or a fight takes place:Three innocent bystanders were killed in the crossfire.
- eyewitness a person who has seen a crime or an accident and can describe it afterward
- a(n) witness/observer/onlooker/passerby/bystander/eyewitness sees something
- a(n) observer/onlooker/passerby/bystander witnesses something
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Check pronunciation: onlooker