peanut gallery
Originally referring to the cheapest seats in a theater, 'peanut gallery' has evolved to describe unsolicited and often critical commentary.
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Definition
C1Theater
(historical)The cheapest and most distant seats in a theater, often associated with loud and boisterous audience members.
Example
- He could barely hear the actors from his seat in the peanut gallery.
B2General
(idiomatic, colloquial)A group of people offering unsolicited, often critical or mocking, comments or opinions.
Example
- The peanut gallery had plenty to say about the new company policy.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "peanut gallery":