sit

verb

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\ 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 The disrespect didn't sit with Deifel or any of the 16 returning players. — Arkansas Online, 15 May 2022 That didn’t sit well with Palmdale City Councilmember Juan Carrillo, who is also running for higher office. — Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2022 Byron Johns, co-founder of the Coalition and education chair of the county’s NAACP chapter, said Blair was one of four major donors to the nonprofit, but does not sit on the Coalition’s board or influence what the group advocates for. — Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 13 May 2022 Nights like that don’t sit well with Curry, though. — Xl Media, cleveland, 13 May 2022 Losing to the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship didn’t sit right with the Eagles. — Trevor Hass, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2022 Unsurprisingly, seeing their favorite character die instead of Marty (Jason Bateman) or Wendy (Laura Linney) didn’t sit well with many folks. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, 10 May 2022 Someone decided to write a real click-baity article that made Bill seem petty, and that just doesn’t sit right with me. — Dawn Ennis, Forbes, 6 May 2022 Meredith's plans to leave Grey Sloan didn't exactly sit well with mentors, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.). — Christina Dugan Ramirez, PEOPLE.com, 5 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The animal rights group said its campaign against Starbucks also included a letter from Paul McCartney to former Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, as well as daily sit-ins at Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, 11 May 2022 At that point Clements was getting heat from his superiors for staging sit-ins at stores that sold drug paraphernalia near his church, protests that sometimes resulted in his being arrested. — NBC News, 27 Apr. 2022 Jones also defended students arrested during sit-ins as civil rights protests gained momentum in the South. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2022 The House did not debate the bill after a Democrats held a sit-in to protest a map that DeSantis had ordered that redraws Florida’s congressional districts and cuts the number of minority access districts in half. — Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2022 Black lawmakers staged an unprecedented sit-in on the floor of the Florida House chamber Thursday, disrupting debate on a congressional redistricting plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would reduce Black representation in half. — Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2022 But moments later, Israeli police descended upon the small sit-in and grabbed their arms, dragging them onto their feet and pushing them away. — New York Times, 15 Apr. 2022 Last year, a Spanish art teacher and her students from an art and feminism class staged a silent sit-in at the Picasso Museum in Bareclona to raise awareness about the artist’s treatment of women. — Carlie Porterfield, Forbes, 14 Apr. 2022 Just a few years before Thompson and Fitzgerald attended Tougaloo, nine students held a sit-in at a public library in Jackson in an effort to integrate the facility, a protest that catalyzed a wave of civil rights demonstrations in the state. — Grace Segers, The New Republic, 31 Mar. 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.

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Last Updated

17 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Sit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit. Accessed 18 May. 2022.

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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