bystanders
People just watching
Bystanders are people who happen to be present at an event without participating in it.
The word often implies witnessing something dramatic or violent: Several bystanders were injured in the explosion.
A bystander effect describes the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help someone in distress when others are present.
Those who observe events
- onlookersPeople observing an event
- witnessesThose who observe events
- watchersThose who look on
- eyewitnessesPeople who directly observed
crowd · passersby · gawkers · rubberneckers · lookers-on · audience · viewers · gathered
Not actively participating
- inactiveNot currently functioning
- nonparticipantOne not involved
- neutralNot favoring any side
- detachedApart or uninvolved
disengaged · unaffected · idle · helpless · frozen · paralyzed · hesitant · reluctant
One who attests
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- eyewitnessOne who saw events
- statementExpressed claim or fact
- accountRecord of dealings
deposition · corroborate · testify · credible · reliable · identification · lineup · recall
Those who suffer harm
- casualtiesThose killed or wounded
- collateralSecurity for debt
- harmedCaused injury to
- injuredHaving sustained harm
caught · unfortunate · unintended · accidental · random · unlucky · targeted · endangered
One who intervenes against injustice
- helperOne who aids another
- rescuerOne who saves others
- interveningComing between to affect
- actingTemporarily holding position
responding · courageous · brave · heroic · assist · aid · phone · record
spectators
Those who observe events
eyewitnesses · crowd · passersby · gawkers · rubberneckers · lookers-on · audience · viewers · gathered · curious
passive
Not actively participating
- inactiveNot currently functioning
- nonparticipantOne not involved
- neutralNot favoring any side
detached · disengaged · unaffected · idle · helpless · frozen · paralyzed · hesitant · reluctant · motionless
witness
One who attests
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- eyewitnessOne who saw events
- statementExpressed claim or fact
account · deposition · corroborate · testify · credible · reliable · identification · lineup · recall · describe
victims
Those who suffer harm
- casualtiesThose killed or wounded
- collateralSecurity for debt
- harmedCaused injury to
injured · caught · unfortunate · unintended · accidental · random · unlucky · targeted · endangered · vulnerable
upstander
One who intervenes against injustice
- helperOne who aids another
- rescuerOne who saves others
- interveningComing between to affect
acting · responding · courageous · brave · heroic · assist · aid · phone · record · filming
- Passion narrativeJesus, Jesus Christ, Pilate, Pontius Pilate, Barabbas
- attendeesattendees, attendee, participant, participants, guests
- slackersslackers, loafers, idlers, idler, layabouts
- background actorsextras, walk-ons, body doubles, crowd scenes
- gender equitygender equality, gender equity, equal rights, gender gap, pay equity
- victimsvictim, victims, casualty, survivors, fatality
bystandersparticipants
Those actively involved
actors · players · perpetrators · combatants · protagonists
bystandersinterveners
Those who step between
rescuers · first responders · heroes · upstanders · helpers
- innocent bystanderUninvolved person harmed incidentally
- bystander effectInaction amid witnesses