Synonyms for
Amateur
Definition
a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid basis, or who does something without being a professional
Synonyms & similar words
Synonyms by register
Formal
Literary
Antonyms
Common collocations
- amateur athlete
- amateur photographer
- amateur dramatics
- amateur cook
- amateur sleuth
- amateur hour
- amateur status
Word family
noun amateurism
adjective amateurish
Usage note
Often used to describe someone who does something for pleasure rather than as a profession. Can sometimes carry a negative connotation of lack of skill, though this is not always the case.
Example sentences
- She is an amateur artist who paints as a hobby.
- He played in an amateur soccer league on the weekends.
- The amateur chef cooked dinner for her friends.
- The amateur astronomer looked at the stars through his telescope.
- The amateur musician played the piano for her family.
Quotes
I'm an amateur photographer. I like to take photographs of people, especially children.
An amateur is someone who supports himself with outside jobs which enable him to paint. A professional is someone whose wife works to enable him to paint.
An amateur is someone who loves what they're doing. Very often, that means not having money - that certainly applies to artists.