- sit
- verb1 on a chair, etc.ADVERB▪ motionless, still▪
Just sit still!
▪ quietly▪He would sit quietly and watch what was happening.
▪ in silence, silently▪We sat in silence for a few moments.
▪ calmly, patiently▪ just, merely, simply▪She just sat there staring into space.
▪He simply sat there not speaking.
▪ comfortably, uncomfortably▪ cross-legged, Indian-style (AmE), with your legs crossed▪The children sat cross-legged on the floor.
▪She was sitting in her chair with her legs crossed.
▪ sideways▪ bolt upright, erect, straight, upright▪He sat bolt upright, hands folded in front of him.
▪ awkwardly, demurely, primly, stiffly▪She sat primly on the edge of her chair.
▪ proudly▪ happily▪Elmer was happily sitting in his high chair.
▪ down▪Please sit down and let me talk to you.
▪ back▪Joan sat back in her chair.
▪Just sit back and enjoy the show.
▪ around▪I hate to be sitting around doing nothing.
▪ side by side, together▪ aloneVERB + SIT▪ let sb▪Surely someone would stand up and let her sit down?
▪ gesture for sb to, gesture to sb to, motion sb to, motion for sb to, motion to sb to▪He motioned the young officer to sit down.
PREPOSITION▪ against▪He was sitting against the wall.
▪ around▪The kids sat around a campfire.
▪ astride▪She was sitting astride a horse.
▪ at▪We sat at a table in the corner.
▪ behind▪The manager sat behind his desk.
▪ beside▪She went and sat beside him.
▪ in▪He sat back in his chair and started to read.
▪ on▪Can I sit on this chair?
▪ opposite▪They sat opposite each other.
▪ under▪She sat under an apple tree.
PHRASES▪ a place to sit▪Ann found a place to sit.
▪ sit down (with sb)▪I recently had a chance to sit down with Britain's Foreign Secretary.
▪ sit and … , sit back and … , sit idly by and … (figurative)▪How can you sit back and watch him suffer?
▪We can't sit idly by and let this happen.
2 seem right/not seem rightADVERB▪ comfortably (esp. BrE), easily (esp. BrE), happily, nicely, well▪ uneasily (esp. BrE)PREPOSITION▪ with▪His views did not sit well with the management line.
PHRASAL VERBsit upADVERB▪ abruptly, quickly, suddenly▪ immediately▪ slowly▪She slowly sat up and looked around.
▪ straightPHRASES▪ sit up and take notice (figurative)▪Their actions have forced us to sit up and take notice.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
