FREE RIDER Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

free rider

noun

Definition of free rider

as in parasite

a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return During their fundraising campaign, the public radio station encouraged listeners not to be free riders.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of free rider Fruit, ginger shots, sea moss beverages, tea, and water were on hand, in alignment with her alcohol-free rider and commitment to sobriety. — Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for free rider

Noun

So kudos to the extras who steal scenes from them in the background, flailing like avant-garde dancers when a vicious mental parasite leaps from grandmothers to joggers to security guards on a quest to find something awful.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Public reaction to the cyclosporiasis outbreak A CBS News poll from July 26 that four in 10 Americans are buying or eating less produce because of the parasite.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Definition of parasite

Noun

Fortunately, tax relief may be available when an aging parent qualifies as a dependent, including the Credit for Other Dependents (COD).

— Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
The levy, which took effect July 1, ranges from $325 to $725 for each employee and their dependent.

— Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Definition of dependent

Noun

Spicules are tiny needle-like structures derived from silica-rich marine sponges, corals or plants, or made synthetically, that create microscopic channels in the skin to help deliver active ingredients more deeply.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
Mist the face with a long-lasting setting spray, and gently press everything together with a sponge.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 27 July 2026

Definition of sponge

Browse Nearby Words

freemen

free rider

free riders

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Free rider.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20rider. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of free rider

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

mitigate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes