sit

play

verb \ ˈsit \

Definition of sit

sat play \ˈsat\; sitting

intransitive verb

1 a :to rest on the buttocks or haunches

sit in a chair

—often used with down

b :perch, roost

2 :to occupy a place as a member of an official body

sit in Congress

3 :to hold a session :be in session for official business

4 :to cover eggs for hatching :brood

5 a :to take a position for having one's portrait painted or for being photographed

b :to serve as a model

6 archaic :to have one's dwelling place :dwell

7 a :to lie or hang relative to a wearer

the collar sits awkwardly

b :to affect one with or as if with weight

the food sat heavily on his stomach

8 :lie, rest

a kettle sitting on the stove

9 a :to have a location

the house sits well back from the road

b of wind :to blow from a certain direction

10 :to remain inactive or quiescent

the car sits in the garage

11 :to take an examination

12 :babysit

13 :to please or agree with one —used with with and an adverb

the decision did not sit well with me

transitive verb

1 :to cause to be seated :place on or in a seat —often used with down

2 :to sit on (eggs)

3 :to keep one's seat on

sit a horse

4 :to provide seats or seating room for

— sit on

1 :to hold deliberations concerning

2 :repress, squelch

3 :to delay action or decision concerning

4 :to wait or be ready for (a specific pitch) in baseball

— sit on one's hands

1 :to withhold applause :fail to show approval or enthusiasm

2 :to fail to take expected or appropriate action

— sit pretty

:to be in a highly favorable situation

— sit tight

1 :to maintain one's position without change

2 :to remain quiet in or as if in hiding

— sit under

:to attend religious service under the instruction or ministrations of; also :to attend the classes or lectures of

See sit defined for English-language learners

See sit defined for kids

Examples of sit in a Sentence

He was sitting in a chair next to the window.
She sat across from me during dinner.
The children sat cross-legged on the floor playing a game.
Are you going to sit there and watch TV all day?
Don't just sit there—do something!
She walked around the table and sat across from me.
She sat the toddler in the chair.
The cat likes to sit by the window.
The bird sat on the ledge.
The limousine is sitting outside.

Recent Examples of sit from the Web

Starters and front-line players generally sit out the preseason finale to avoid injury heading into the Sept. 10 season opener.

— clarence e. hill jr., star-telegram, "Dallas Cowboys forced to make final cuts without final game," 30 Aug. 2017
Yet, everyone else around me looked serene, including a woman who sat on her partner’s lap with her legs wrapped around his body.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Two Hours of Touching Strange Men at Tantra Speed Dating," 29 Aug. 2017
For example, Columbia, Cal Tech and Washington University sit at the 5th, 12th and 19th spots on the U.S. News and World Report list.

— susannah hutcheson, USA TODAY College, "Washington Monthly's 2017 best colleges list has some surprises," 28 Aug. 2017
The granite slab with its bronze plaque honoring Confederate soldiers sat on the grounds of the Howard County Circuit Court for nearly 70 years, but nobody paid much attention to it until just a few weeks ago.

— kate magill, Columbia Flier, "Where did it come from? The history of Howard County’s Confederate monument," 28 Aug. 2017
Soulful plates are worth the quirks: Lamb ragù with pickled beet stems sits atop lush tahini, while roasted potatoes require only a squeeze of charred lemon to shine.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "4 New Restaurants to Try Right Now," 28 Aug. 2017
Fresh off an election campaign that in part relitigated that tumultuous past, The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Carteris to process the rough campaign and look to the road ahead.

— jonathan handel, The Hollywood Reporter, "Gabrielle Carteris Talks SAG-AFTRA Election, Union Factions and "Misinformation"," 26 Aug. 2017
If the after-work crowds start to swell, make your way to The Savoy’s recently refurbished—and very golden—Beaufort Bar, which sits on the hotel’s former cabaret stage, for a pricey tipple.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "American Bar," 25 Aug. 2017
As Jason Magder reports for the Montreal Gazette, the anchor sits in a nautical-themed park in the town of Pointe-des-Cascades, Quebec.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Canadian Town’s Swastika-Adorned Anchor Causes Anger and Confusion," 25 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sit

Middle English sitten, from Old English sittan; akin to Old High German sizzen to sit, Latin sedēre, Greek hezesthai to sit, hedra seat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

sit Synonyms

Synonyms

set [chiefly dialect]

Related Words

perch; lounge, slouch, sprawl, squat, straddle

Near Antonyms

arise, get up, rise, stand

sit

noun

Definition of sit

1 :the manner in which a garment fits

2 :an act or period of sitting

Recent Examples of sit from the Web

The plan, submitted by 448 Lafitte, LLC, calls for the main building to be completely restored for a sit down dining area and for food to be prepared in a catering truck behind the building that will take the place of a kitchen.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "Blighted Old Mandeville building to become BBQ restaurant," 24 Aug. 2017
This week’s openings and closings D’Jakarta This family-run Indonesian sit-downer is looking at a soft-opening on Monday, July 31 at 1540 W. Ritner St. in South Philly.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Fishtown in the spotlight," 26 July 2017
Just beyond two sets of doors and the engraved names of the command’s 31 combat deaths, a large painting of the men from the 2015 crash sits on an easel.

— alan blinder and dave philipps, New York Times, "Marine Corps Plane Crash: The 16 Victims," 13 July 2017
People across the country are planning how best to mobilize against the bill, including organizing people to call their legislators, planning sit-ins at district offices, and writing letters to editors of newspapers.

— darius sadighi, Teen Vogue, "Republican Senators Are Moving to Replace the Affordable Care Act By Next Week," 13 July 2017
Ditto his sit-down with Sergey Gorkov, the head of a Russian bank that is currently the subject of U.S. sanctions.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Can Jared Kushner Outrun the Russia Nightmare?," 12 July 2017
Trump Jr. later tweeted the email exchange that led to the sit-down.

— claire zillman, Fortune, "The World’s Most Powerful Women: July 12," 12 July 2017
The rally, spearheaded by Henry Brewster, was part of a statewide effort that includes a sit-in outside the Robert S. Vance Federal Building and Courthouse in Birmingham.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Mobile healthcare rally airs fears, calls on Strange and Shelby to listen," 26 June 2017
Several dozen tee-shirt wearing Trump backers staged a peaceful sit-in at the Dilworth coffee house, with 40 off them filling tables and chairs.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Trump backers hold sit-in at Starbucks after staff mocks woman in Trump tee-shirt," 26 June 2017

First Known Use of sit

1776

SIT Defined for English Language Learners

sit

play

verb

Definition of sit for English Language Learners

: to be in a position in which your bottom is resting on a chair, the ground, etc., especially with your back upright
: to begin to sit : to put yourself in a sitting position
: to cause (someone) to be seated : to put (someone) in a sitting position

SIT Defined for Kids

sit

play

verb \ ˈsit \

Definition of sit for Students

sat \ˈsat\; sitting

1 :to rest upon the part of the body where the hips and legs join :to rest on the buttocks or hindquarters

We sat and waited on a bench.

The dog sat by the fire.

2 :to put the buttocks down on a surface

I sat down to write a letter.

3 :to cause to be seated

He sat the baby in the chair.

4 :²perch

The bird sat on a branch.

5 :to be located or stay in a place or position

A vase sits on the table.

6 :to provide seats for

The car sits five.

7 :to hold a place as a member of an official group

She was elected to sit in Congress.

8 :to hold a session

The court sat last month.

9 :to pose for a portrait or photograph

10 :babysit

Law Dictionary

sit

intransitive verb

legal Definition of sit

sat; sitting

1 :to occupy a place as a member of an official or formal body

sit in Congress

sit on a board of directors

2 :to hold a session :conduct official business

the court sits in the state capital

Learn More about sit

See words that rhyme with sit Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sit Spanish Central: Translation of sit Nglish: Translation of sit for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sit for Arabic speakers

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sit

Definition of sit

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Examples of sit in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sit from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sit

sit Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

sit

Definition of sit

Recent Examples of sit from the Web

First Known Use of sit

SIT Defined for English Language Learners

sit

Definition of sit for English Language Learners

SIT Defined for Kids

sit

Definition of sit for Students

Law Dictionary

sit

legal Definition of sit

Learn More about sit

Seen and Heard

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