Third Wheel

What does third wheel mean?

A person who feels left out

Third wheel is a term for the feeling a person experiences when he or she feels left out. It commonly occurs when a person is hanging out with two other people who are acting more intimate and romantic.

Since wheels usually come in twos or fours, like with bikes and cars, a third wheel seems odd, which plays into the "odd one out" feeling. Third wheel situations may arise for a variety of reasons such as the couple feels bad for a friend and invites him along or the third wheel is socially unaware of the situation and when to leave the two people alone.

Example

Ugh, last night was the worst. I felt like a third wheel all night long
Well, yeah, you did go out with them on Valentine's Day
See if you can guess the third wheel
See if you can guess the third wheel

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Updated March 15, 2017

Third wheel definition by Slang.net

This page explains what the slang term "Third wheel" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

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