sit
♦♦♦ sit /s'ɪt/ (sits sitting sat)
1 [VERB] V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V, V adj, also V
If you are sitting somewhere, for example in a chair, your bottom is resting on the chair and the upper part of your body is upright.
Mother was sitting in her chair in the kitchen...
They sat there in shock and disbelief...
They had been sitting watching television...
He was unable to sit still for longer than a few minutes.
2 [VERB] V prep/adv, V
When you sit somewhere, you lower your body until you are sitting on something.
He set the cases against a wall and sat on them...
When you stand, they stand; when you sit, they sit.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P prep/adv
Sit down means the same as sit.
I sat down, stunned...
Hughes beckoned him to sit down on the sofa.
3 [VERB] V n prep/adv
If you sit someone somewhere, you tell them to sit there or put them in a sitting position.
He used to sit me on his lap...
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P prep/adv, V n P
To sit someone down somewhere means to sit them there.
She helped him out of the water and sat him down on the rock...
They sat me down and had a serious discussion about sex.
4 [VERB] V n
If you sit an examination, you do it. (BRIT; in AM, use take)
June and July are the traditional months for sitting exams.
= take
5 [VERB] no cont, V on/in n
If you sit on a committee or other official group, you are a member of it.
He was asked to sit on numerous committees...
6 [VERB] V
When a parliament, legislature, court, or other official body sits, it officially carries out its work. (FORMAL)
Parliament sits for only 28 weeks out of 52...
7 [VERB] V prep/adv, V prep/adv
If a building or object sits in a particular place, it is in that place. (WRITTEN)
Our new house sat next to a stream...
On the table sat a box decorated with little pearl triangles.
= stand
8
see also sitting
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you sit tight, you remain in the same place or situation and do not take any action, usually because you are waiting for something to happen.
Sit tight. I'll be right back...
to sit on the fence: see fencesit around
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit around or sit about, you spend time doing nothing useful or interesting. (in BRIT, also use sit about INFORMAL)
Eve isn't the type to sit around doing nothing...sit back
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit back while something is happening, you relax and do not become involved in it. (INFORMAL)
They didn't have to do anything except sit back and enjoy life...sit by
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit by while something wrong or illegal is happening, you allow it to happen and do not do anything about it.
We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away...
= stand bysit down
1
see sit 2, 3
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit down and do something, you spend time and effort doing it in order to try to achieve something.
Have you both sat down and worked out a budget together?...
3
see also sit-downsit on
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
If you say that someone is sitting on something, you mean that they are delaying dealing with it. (INFORMAL)
He had been sitting on the document for at least two months.sit out
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you sit something out, you wait for it to finish, without taking any action.
The only thing I can do is keep quiet and sit this one out...
He can afford to sit out the property slump.sit through
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
If you sit through something such as a film, lecture, or meeting, you stay until it is finished although you are not enjoying it.
...movies so bad you can hardly bear to sit through them.sit up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit up, you move into a sitting position when you have been leaning back or lying down.
Her head spins dizzily as soon as she sits up.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If you sit someone up, you move them into a sitting position when they have been leaning back or lying down.
She sat him up and made him comfortable.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit up, you do not go to bed although it is very late.
We sat up drinking and talking...
= stay up
4
see also sit-up
1 [VERB] V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V, V adj, also V
If you are sitting somewhere, for example in a chair, your bottom is resting on the chair and the upper part of your body is upright.
Mother was sitting in her chair in the kitchen...
They sat there in shock and disbelief...
They had been sitting watching television...
He was unable to sit still for longer than a few minutes.
2 [VERB] V prep/adv, V
When you sit somewhere, you lower your body until you are sitting on something.
He set the cases against a wall and sat on them...
When you stand, they stand; when you sit, they sit.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P prep/adv
Sit down means the same as sit.
I sat down, stunned...
Hughes beckoned him to sit down on the sofa.
3 [VERB] V n prep/adv
If you sit someone somewhere, you tell them to sit there or put them in a sitting position.
He used to sit me on his lap...
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P prep/adv, V n P
To sit someone down somewhere means to sit them there.
She helped him out of the water and sat him down on the rock...
They sat me down and had a serious discussion about sex.
4 [VERB] V n
If you sit an examination, you do it. (BRIT; in AM, use take)
June and July are the traditional months for sitting exams.
= take
5 [VERB] no cont, V on/in n
If you sit on a committee or other official group, you are a member of it.
He was asked to sit on numerous committees...
6 [VERB] V
When a parliament, legislature, court, or other official body sits, it officially carries out its work. (FORMAL)
Parliament sits for only 28 weeks out of 52...
7 [VERB] V prep/adv, V prep/adv
If a building or object sits in a particular place, it is in that place. (WRITTEN)
Our new house sat next to a stream...
On the table sat a box decorated with little pearl triangles.
= stand
8
see also sitting
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you sit tight, you remain in the same place or situation and do not take any action, usually because you are waiting for something to happen.
Sit tight. I'll be right back...
to sit on the fence: see fencesit around
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit around or sit about, you spend time doing nothing useful or interesting. (in BRIT, also use sit about INFORMAL)
Eve isn't the type to sit around doing nothing...sit back
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit back while something is happening, you relax and do not become involved in it. (INFORMAL)
They didn't have to do anything except sit back and enjoy life...sit by
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit by while something wrong or illegal is happening, you allow it to happen and do not do anything about it.
We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away...
= stand bysit down
1
see sit 2, 3
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit down and do something, you spend time and effort doing it in order to try to achieve something.
Have you both sat down and worked out a budget together?...
3
see also sit-downsit on
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
If you say that someone is sitting on something, you mean that they are delaying dealing with it. (INFORMAL)
He had been sitting on the document for at least two months.sit out
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you sit something out, you wait for it to finish, without taking any action.
The only thing I can do is keep quiet and sit this one out...
He can afford to sit out the property slump.sit through
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
If you sit through something such as a film, lecture, or meeting, you stay until it is finished although you are not enjoying it.
...movies so bad you can hardly bear to sit through them.sit up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit up, you move into a sitting position when you have been leaning back or lying down.
Her head spins dizzily as soon as she sits up.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If you sit someone up, you move them into a sitting position when they have been leaning back or lying down.
She sat him up and made him comfortable.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you sit up, you do not go to bed although it is very late.
We sat up drinking and talking...
= stay up
4
see also sit-up