Vicarious
adjective
Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
I got a vicarious thrill out of my friend's adventures
Often appears as...
- vicarious pleasure
- vicarious thrill
adjective
Acting or done for another.
The vicarious liability of an employer
Often appears as...
- vicarious liability
- vicarious punishment
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
adjective
Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
I got a vicarious thrill out of my friend's adventures
Often appears as...
- vicarious pleasure
- vicarious thrill
adjective
Acting or done for another.
The vicarious liability of an employer
Often appears as...
- vicarious liability
- vicarious punishment
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Second-Hand Emotion
Use 'vicarious' when expressing feelings felt through someone else's experiences, as if you were part of it.
Watching the documentary, I felt a vicarious sense of achievement.
Pro Tip 2/3Imaginative Involvement
'Vicarious' conveys a deep engagement in another's story without having a direct role.
Through her memoir, I lived a vicarious adventure.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Connection
It often indicates a strong, sometimes undeservedly intense emotional connection to another's actions.
Her win gave me vicarious pride, though I hadn't helped.
Pro Tip 1/3Second-Hand Emotion
Use 'vicarious' when expressing feelings felt through someone else's experiences, as if you were part of it.
Watching the documentary, I felt a vicarious sense of achievement.
Pro Tip 2/3Imaginative Involvement
'Vicarious' conveys a deep engagement in another's story without having a direct role.
Through her memoir, I lived a vicarious adventure.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Connection
It often indicates a strong, sometimes undeservedly intense emotional connection to another's actions.
Her win gave me vicarious pride, though I hadn't helped.
Pro Tip 1/3Second-Hand Emotion
Use 'vicarious' when expressing feelings felt through someone else's experiences, as if you were part of it.
Watching the documentary, I felt a vicarious sense of achievement.
Pro Tip 2/3Imaginative Involvement
'Vicarious' conveys a deep engagement in another's story without having a direct role.
Through her memoir, I lived a vicarious adventure.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Connection
It often indicates a strong, sometimes undeservedly intense emotional connection to another's actions.
Her win gave me vicarious pride, though I hadn't helped.
Compare with
alternativedelegatorindirectproxyrepresentationalsecondarysubstitutesurrogate
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Video examples
TED Prize wish: Protect...
Earth and I told him how much I love being able to hold the world in my hands and go exploring vicariously but I asked him when are you going to finish it he did a great job with Al and the dirt what about the water since then I had the great pleasure of working with the Googlers with do-er marine with the
Video examples
Photo Walk in Napa...
here on the edge you know and what we're doing is I'm actually using you to give somebody that vicarious experience to live through so like when they see you looking off into this view what they're doing is they're putting themselves in that position right making this world
Video examples
Sylvia Earle: How to...
and I told him how much I loved being able to hold the world in my hands and go exploring vicariously. But I asked "When are you going to finish it? You did a great job with the land, the dirt. What about the water?"
Video examples
TED Prize wish: Protect...
Earth and I told him how much I love being able to hold the world in my hands and go exploring vicariously but I asked him when are you going to finish it he did a great job with Al and the dirt what about the water since then I had the great pleasure of working with the Googlers with do-er marine with the
Video examples
Photo Walk in Napa...
here on the edge you know and what we're doing is I'm actually using you to give somebody that vicarious experience to live through so like when they see you looking off into this view what they're doing is they're putting themselves in that position right making this world
Video examples
Sylvia Earle: How to...
and I told him how much I loved being able to hold the world in my hands and go exploring vicariously. But I asked "When are you going to finish it? You did a great job with the land, the dirt. What about the water?"
Example 1 of 3
Quote examples
Steven Pinker
Canadian Scientist
If you aren't just brought up in your tribe but interact with other people either directly or vicariously, through journalism and literature, you see what life is like from other points of view and are less likely to demonize them or dehumanize others and more likely to empathize with them.
Quote examples
Marshall Goldsmith
American Coach
In our world, we have this huge focus on vicarious living - politicians, movie stars, athletes, coaches, all these people. What our research has shown very clearly is that people who are really happier and have more meaningful lives are people that focus on living their own lives.
Quote examples
Paul Bloom
Canadian Psychologist
I have my own difficulty with movies in which the suffering of the characters is too real, and many find it difficult to watch comedies that rely too heavily on embarrassment; the vicarious reaction to this is too unpleasant.
Quote examples
Dwayne Johnson
American Actor
Playing big, heroic characters with heart is always a lot of fun. I enjoy making movies like that, and a lot of people love to live vicariously through those characters.
Quote examples
Emmy Rossum
American Actress
I feel like I've come out of this grown up, maybe because I live through the character vicariously and she grows up so much during the course of this story.
Quote examples
Samuel Goldwyn
American Producer
I vicariously lived the life of an independent producer from the time I was four years old. And what was always important was writing, writing, writing.
Quote examples
Elon Musk
South African Businessman
I think life on Earth must be about more than just solving problems... It's got to be something inspiring, even if it is vicarious.
Quote examples
John Ross Bowie
American Actor
The bottom line is we go to theatre to vicariously spend time with really intense characters.
Quote examples
James Badge Dale
American Actor
In a weird way, I live vicariously through the characters I play as an actor.
Quote examples
Christopher Buckley
American Novelist
You live vicariously through your characters.
Quote examples
Steven Pinker
Canadian Scientist
If you aren't just brought up in your tribe but interact with other people either directly or vicariously, through journalism and literature, you see what life is like from other points of view and are less likely to demonize them or dehumanize others and more likely to empathize with them.
Quote examples
Marshall Goldsmith
American Coach
In our world, we have this huge focus on vicarious living - politicians, movie stars, athletes, coaches, all these people. What our research has shown very clearly is that people who are really happier and have more meaningful lives are people that focus on living their own lives.
Quote examples
Paul Bloom
Canadian Psychologist
I have my own difficulty with movies in which the suffering of the characters is too real, and many find it difficult to watch comedies that rely too heavily on embarrassment; the vicarious reaction to this is too unpleasant.
Quote examples
Dwayne Johnson
American Actor
Playing big, heroic characters with heart is always a lot of fun. I enjoy making movies like that, and a lot of people love to live vicariously through those characters.
Quote examples
Emmy Rossum
American Actress
I feel like I've come out of this grown up, maybe because I live through the character vicariously and she grows up so much during the course of this story.
Quote examples
Samuel Goldwyn
American Producer
I vicariously lived the life of an independent producer from the time I was four years old. And what was always important was writing, writing, writing.
Quote examples
Elon Musk
South African Businessman
I think life on Earth must be about more than just solving problems... It's got to be something inspiring, even if it is vicarious.
Quote examples
John Ross Bowie
American Actor
The bottom line is we go to theatre to vicariously spend time with really intense characters.
Quote examples
James Badge Dale
American Actor
In a weird way, I live vicariously through the characters I play as an actor.
Quote examples
Christopher Buckley
American Novelist
You live vicariously through your characters.
Example 1 of 10
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