Phrase guide

rear-view mirror

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mirror inside a vehicle that allows the driver to see the traffic behind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rear vision mirror

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The observer's perception of something that is past or has been surpassed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

Examples

  • Guilt is a powerful emotion in the moment, but it's easy to ignore once it's in the rear-view mirror.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From rear-view + mirror.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: огледало за задно виждане (ogledalo za zadno viždane) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Catalan: retrovisor — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Chinese Cantonese: 倒後鏡 /倒后镜 (dou3 hau6 geng3) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Chinese Mandarin: 後視鏡 /后视镜 (hòushìjìng) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Chinese Mandarin: 後照鏡 /后照镜 (hòuzhàojìng) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Czech: zpětné zrcátko — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Danish: bakspejl — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Dutch: achteruitkijkspiegel — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Esperanto: retrospegulo — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Faroese: bakspegil — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Finnish: taustapeili — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • French: rétroviseur intérieur — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Georgian: უკანა ხედის სარკე (uḳana xedis sarḳe) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Georgian: უკანა ხედვის სარკე (uḳana xedvis sarḳe) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • German: Rückspiegel — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Hungarian: (belső) visszapillantó tükör — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Icelandic: baksýnisspegill — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Indonesian: kaca spion tengah — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Irish: scáthán siar — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Italian: retrovisore — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Italian: specchietto retrovisore — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Japanese: バックミラー (bakkumirā) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Korean: 백미러 (baengmireo) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Macedonian: ретрови́зор (retrovízor) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bakspeil — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjørespeil — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bakspegel — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: køyrespegel — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Polish: lusterko wsteczne — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Portuguese: retrovisor — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Portuguese: espelho retrovisor — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Russian: зе́ркало за́днего ви́да (zérkalo zádnevo vída) — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Serbo-Croatian: ретро̀вӣзор — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Serbo-Croatian: retròvīzor — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Spanish: retrovisor — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Spanish: espejo retrovisor — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Swedish: backspegel — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Turkish: dikiz aynası — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Vietnamese: gương chiếu hậu — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Vietnamese: kính chiếu hậu — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind
  • Vietnamese: kiếng chiếu hậu — mirror inside a vehicle giving view of the traffic behind