sit

verb

\ 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 Learn More about sit

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Outside sits a 24-foot-tall golden giraffe sculpture that took about a year to make, Mr. Niami said. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "L.A. Megamansion Developer Asks $55 Million for Gigantic Bachelor Pad," 15 Jan. 2019 In late 2017, Jeremiah Jeffries, the co-founder of a local teachers group called Teachers 4 Social Justice, sat her down and asked her to run for a seat on the school board. — Jackie Fielder, Teen Vogue, "Gabriela López Just Became the Youngest Elected Official in San Francisco," 11 Jan. 2019 There was no Plan B. There was no sitting back waiting as a defense. — Pete Iacobelli, The Seattle Times, "Clemson uses big moments to topple Tide for title," 8 Jan. 2019 The controversy comes as the agency continues to grapple with the aftermath of a 2016 shooting in which several officers opened fire on a couple sitting inside a car. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "A California city plans to shred years of police records before a new law makes them public," 27 Dec. 2018 Brett Kavanaugh has been sitting on the Supreme Court since October 9. — Anna North, Vox, "Christine Blasey Ford has a security detail because she still receives threats," 8 Nov. 2018 The price of the 500GB 860 EVO is currently sitting around $88 at most places. — Ian Paul, PCWorld, "Two of our favorite SSDs are cheaper than ever today," 2 Oct. 2018 Another ~look~ shows Lana in a sheer red robe with ruffles, sitting barefoot on a counter. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Lana Condor Wears Sweater Briefs in Euphoria Magazine Cover Feature," 15 Dec. 2018 Launching satellites from a large airplane has big advantages, especially for U.S. government customers who may need to replace a sat or augment their orbital technology during a crisis. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The Virgin Galactic Hype Totally Misses the Point," 13 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In a new interview last week with the Today show's Natalie Morales (their first sit-down together since their 2018 divorce!) the former couple discussed the challenges of shooting season seven—and soon-to-be season eight. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Christina and Tarek El Moussa Just Gave Their First Joint Interview Since the Divorce," 20 Dec. 2018 For high-octane events (like weddings or a sit-down dinner) consider peppering in more diamonds. — Leah Melby Clinton, Marie Claire, "How to Make Your Boring LBD Feel New Again," 16 Nov. 2018 After city officials announced a proposal to site a modular facility in residential neighborhood in Marpole, the building where Richard Nuttall now lives, activists staged a sit-in to block it. — Vernal Coleman, The Seattle Times, "Vancouver, B.C., bet on modular housing to ease homelessness. Could it work in Seattle?," 1 Oct. 2018 The answers to Mueller’s questions represent the first time Trump has given his own version of events to the special counsel’s team in the 11 months since Mueller first asked for a sit-down interview with the president. — Maggie Haberman, The Seattle Times, "Trump pushed for Justice Dept. prosecution of Clinton, Comey," 20 Nov. 2018 The best sit-down-and-check-Instagram spot is right by the bathrooms, where Johnston Marklee have installed their reinterpretation of the hexagonal velvet ottoman from the Menil House. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "A museum grows in Houston," 1 Nov. 2018 Firewall was clearly too busy reinventing the wheel of getting this genre to work in sit-down VR, and that means the genre sees no other reinventions or wild new mechanics. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Feel better about your PlayStation VR with sweet new games Astro Bot, Firewall," 11 Oct. 2018 The crater spewing ash sits within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which has been closed since May 11 as a safety precaution over risks of a violent eruption. — Bloomberg.com, "'Excited And Scared': Hawaii Volcano Spews Huge Cloud of Ash," 18 May 2018 The crater spewing ash sits within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which has been closed since May 11 as a safety precaution over risks of a violent eruption. — CBS News, "Kilauea opens new fissure, spews more lava and toxic gas," 18 May 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near sit

Statistics for sit

Last Updated

19 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for sit

The first known use of sit was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for sit

sit

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sit

: 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

See the full definition for sit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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