supporting role

NOUN

part

Synonyms

STRONGEST

piece

STRONG

antagonist bit cameo character dialogue hero lead lines protagonist villain walk-on

WEAK

bit part leading role minor role principal character romantic lead silent bit stock character straight part title role

Antonyms

WEAK

whole

NOUN

second banana

Synonyms

WEAK

assistant chorus deputy runnerup second fiddle second string second-rater substitute

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mariantonietta says the potential goes beyond a single treatment approach: "Targeting senescence is a huge opportunity for cancer treatments, and ultimately it can play a supporting role in addition to chemotherapy and immunotherapy."

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

Prosecutors believe he played a supporting role in the operation, acting primarily as a translator.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Suddenly, it’s a nut dessert with a brownie supporting role.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026

The picture is a little cloudier for actors in a supporting role, said Feinberg, with both male and female categories up for grabs.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

I like how he accepts the supporting role and doesn’t try to desi-mansplain things to me.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

supporting role

Example Sentences

Related Words