sit

verb

Save Word

\ ˈsit

sat\ ˈsat

\; sitting

Definition of sit

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

5a : 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

7a : 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

9a : 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

sit

noun

Definition of sit (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the manner in which a garment fits

2 : an act or period of sitting

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing sit Learn More About sit

Examples of sit in a Sentence

Verb 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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Simply put, without alcohol, turning a profit becomes more complicated for sit-down restaurants. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 20 June 2022 Amber Heard has given her first sit-down interview following the verdict in her latest legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 13 June 2022 Amber Heard sat down with NBC News' Savannah Guthrie for her first sit-down interview since the trial involving her ex-husband Johnny Depp. — Nick Romano, EW.com, 13 June 2022 But Ainge gave even more insight into the coaching search in a recent sit-down interview with radio personality David Locke. — Alex Vejar, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 June 2022 And the services available vary, with charcuterie tables and appetizer packages on Gathar start at $50 a person, while full sit-down meals start at $150 a head. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 June 2022 In 1982 Black residents of Warren County, North Carolina, launched a sit-in campaign to protest their exposure to toxic chemicals, generating headlines nationwide. — Scott W. Stern, The New York Review of Books, 8 June 2022 My son and his wife and their 12-year-old son visit almost every Sunday to relax, talk and have a sit-down dinner at the dining room table, which my wife and I provide most of the time with much pleasure and joy. — Annie Lane, oregonlive, 7 June 2022 The storytelling officially begins a few weeks after a guilty plea (or a conviction by trial) in a sit-down interview with a law-enforcement officer whose specialty is writing up a pre-sentencing report, which will be given to the presiding judge. — New York Times, 7 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun While clips aired on Today, the full sit-down aired in a special Dateline episode Friday. — Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2022 That fact makes his half-hour sit-down with Associated Press White House reporter Josh Boak all the more newsworthy. — Brian Stelter, CNN, 16 June 2022 Comments by White House personnel suggest that Biden is planning to travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-July, including a sit-down with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, which seemed impossible in the 2020 presidential election. — Dan Eberhart, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Through the week, the star's sit-down with Guthrie will appear on Today, before more will be shown on a special Dateline Friday. — Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 14 June 2022 After a disappointing sophomore season in 1991, when Nevin hit .335 with three homers and 46 RBIs and had several on-field meltdowns, Garrido, who died in 2018, had a sit-down with his third baseman. — Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2022 The two sit on opposite sides of Geraldine Street, near where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot and wounded his grandmother in the face at home before the school attack. — Jay Reeves, Chron, 5 June 2022 The campsites on the far western loop of Doctor Creek Campground sit within Pando, providing campers with an up-close-and-personal experience with one of the largest and oldest organisms on Earth. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2022 The remnants of the building sit at the end of Center Street near College Avenue. — Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 13 Apr. 2022 See More

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.

Buying Guide

Our Reviews team has selected the best office chairs.

Learn More About sit

Dictionary Entries Near sit

sisyrinchium

sit

sit about

Statistics for sit

Last Updated

22 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Sit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit. Accessed 29 Jun. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for sit

sit

verb

\ ˈsit

sat\ ˈsat \; sitting

Kids Definition of sit

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 : perch entry 2 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

sit

intransitive verb

sat; sitting