cross-legged

adverb or adjective

ˈkrȯs-ˌle-gəd 

-ˌlā-;

-ˌlegd 

-ˌlāgd

1

: with legs crossed and knees spread wide apart

2

: with one leg placed over and across the other

Examples of cross-legged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the west coast of Mexico, Michael Giardina, a Navy veteran, sat cross-legged on a cushion, and drank tea made with ground up psychedelic mushrooms. — Will Croxton, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026

On Friday, July 31, the son of Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne shared a photo of himself holding his and wife Aree Osbourne’s youngest daughter in his arms while sitting cross-legged in a park. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026

The Anchorman star shared a photo reminiscent of the artwork on Nancy Priddy’s You’ve Come This Way Before, where mother and daughter both posed sitting cross-legged on the ground, wearing a denim shirt and jeans. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026

Under the supervision of a local artisan, guests sit cross-legged on a carpet beneath a large tree and weave their own small version of the bed. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cross-legged

• legged

Kids Definition

cross-legged

adverb

ˈkrȯ-ˈsleg(-ə)d

: with the legs crossed and the knees spread wide