Dictionary

sit down en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To assume a sitting position from a standing position.
   • So saying, she sate down at a little distance upon the bench on which Allan M‘Aulay was placed, and tuning her clairshach, a small harp, about thirty inches in height, she accompanied it with her voice. 1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VI, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume III (A Legend of Montrose), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 274:
   • We sate down to dinner a little after five, and had some beefsteaks and a boiled fowl, but no oyster sauce. 1798 October 24, Jane Austen, “Letter VIII”, in Edward, Lord Brabourne, editor, Letters of Jane Austen, volume I, London: Richard Bentley & Son, […], published 1884, →OCLC, page 155:
   • And lo / many publicans and ſynners / cam and ſatt downe alſo with Ieſus / and his diſciples. 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew ix:[10], folio xj, recto:
   • […] and then made to thy ſelf a Reſt, and haſt ſitten down at Eaſe, promiſing to thy ſelf Security in thy profeſſed Formality, where thy Vitals have been ſtopped; […] 1660, W[illiam] S[mith], An Holy Kiss of Peace, Sent from the Seed of Life, Greeting All the Lambs and Little Ones with a Tender Salutation. […], London: […] Robert Wilson, […], page 13:
   • […] he made Maracini advance with his men towards Oder, to hinder Orang hells further proceedings, or his joyning with Bannier, which if it had happened time enough, that Elector would have had ſomewhat elſe to doe, then to have ſitten down before a ſtrong Towne which had a prettie Army in the Field to aſſiſt it. 1648, Galliazzo Gualdo Priorato, translated by Henry [Carey, 2nd] Earle of Monmouth, An History of the Late Warres and Other State Affaires of the Best Part of Christendom, Beginning with the King of Swethlands Entrance into Germany, and Continuing to the Yeare 1640, London: W. Wilson, and are to bee sold by Iohn Hardesty, Thomas Huntington, and Thomas Iackson, […], pages 340–341:
   • I sat down in the armchair, and my sis sat down on the floor.
   • When ſhe knew this galley a farre of, ſhe lift vp a ſigne in the poope of her ſhippe, and ſo Antonius comming to it, was pluckt vp where Cleopatra was, howbeit he ſaw her not at his firſt comming, nor ſhe him, but went and ſate down alone in the prowe of his ſhippe, and ſaid neuer a word, clapping his head betwene both his hands. 1579, Plutarke of Chæronea [i.e., Plutarch], “The Life of Marcus Antonius”, in Thomas North, transl., The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romaines, […], London: […] Richard Field, →OCLC, page 1001:
   • Sit down! We have work to do.
   • Therfore where it is ſuppoſed that Chriſt and his Apoſtles miniſtred & receiued ſitting but by occaſion, and not of purpoſe: becauſe they were ſitting before in eating the paſſeover. wher as if Chriſt had ſitten down of purpoſ to adminiſter the cõmunion, then all that is ſaid is graunted to be ſome purpoſe. 1605, [William Bradshaw], A Proposition. Concerning Kneeling in the Very Act of Receiuing Howsoever. […], page 13:
   • "[…] my only chance of sitting down was for the hour we were at dinner. […]." 1944 July and August, W. G. Chapman, “The First of the Exeter Expresses”, in Railway Magazine, page 215:
   • From thence he cometh forth again ⁊ ſitteth down vnder his cloth of eſtate. 1560 September 25, Ihon Daus, transl., A Famouse Cronicle of Oure Time, Called Sleidanes Commentaries, Concerning the State of Religion and Common Wealth, […], London: […] Ihon Daye, for Abraham Veale, and Nicholas England, folio cccxij, verso:
2. (reflexive, transitive) To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to.
   • Two YC partners sat Altman down last year “and told him, ‘Slow down, chill out!’ 2016 October 3, Tad Friend, “Sam Altman’s Manifest Destiny”, in The New Yorker:
   • Sit your ass down and shut up.
   • I sat him down and explained to him how things truly work around here.
   • Oh I will sit me down and weep / For bones in Africa. 1922, A. E. Housman, Astronomy, lines 3–4:
   • Coming home, therefore, I sat me down secretly under the Shrine of St. Edmund, fearing lest our Lord Abbot should seize and imprison me. 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. 6, Monk Samson”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To meet formally at a conference table.
   • Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements. 2013 July 19, Timothy Garton Ash, “Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 18:
4. (figuratively, intransitive) To meet with someone for discussions, negotiations or interrogation.
   • I sat down with him about the allegations.
5. (intransitive) To assume a low or sunken position.
   • The ball scooted off the fairway and sat down in the thick rough.
   • As we all climbed aboard, the little boat sat down low in the water.
6. (Australia, intransitive) In Aboriginal use, to live or stay at (a place).
   • ‘He sit down long time, plenty days, too quiet altogether. All a time he look out young lubra.’ 1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 126:
   • He ‘sat down’ for days, regaining his strength, quietly sizing up his little kingdom. 1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 27:
7. (Australia, intransitive, obsolete) To take up residence in or settle (an area).

Forms

Deriveds

sit-down money · please sit down

Relateds

sit up · set down · lie down · stand up · sit · set a spell

Synonyms

be seated (assume a sitting position) · take a seat (assume a sitting position) · take a pew (assume a sitting position)

Translations (119)

gl asentar (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · dng зуәха (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tk oturmak (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ky олтуруу (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · my ထိုင် (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ja 座る (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cs posadit se (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · kk отыру (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sw kukaa (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sq ulem (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tg нишастан (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · yue 坐低 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · fi istuutua (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · nap s'assettà (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tt утырырга (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sl usesti se (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · fa نشستن (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh систи (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ckb دانیشتن (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cmn 坐下來 /坐下来 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · bg ся́дам (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · nrf s'assiéthe (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · scn assettàrisi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · be сяда́ць (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ain ア (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · arz قعد (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sk posadiť sa (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · uga 𐎊𐎘𐎁 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ab атәара (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · az əyləşmək (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sa सीदति (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sv sätta sig (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · pam lukluk (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cmn 坐 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · yua kultal (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · it sedersi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · chr ᏦᏞᏍᏗ (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · be се́сці (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · hi बैठना (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · th นั่ง (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sk sadnúť si (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · pt sentar-se (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ja 腰掛ける (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · nl gaan zitten (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · lo ນັ່ງ (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ar قَعَدَ (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh сје̏сти (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · uk сі́сти (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cy eistedd i lawr (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ht chita (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · zdj ukantsi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ur بیٹھنا (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sw kuketi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · es sentarse (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · fr s'asseoir (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · he התיישב \ הִתְיַשֵּׁב (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ro sta jos (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · nan-hbl 坐下 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · vi ngồi xuống (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh се̏сти (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ru сесть (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sw kukaa kitako (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · az oturmaq (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh sjȅsti (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tl umupo (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ko 앉다 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · pl siadać (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sw keti chini (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · pl usiąść (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ka დაჯდომა (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · mk седне (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cs sedat si (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · got 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · fi istua alas (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sl sesti (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ttj -ikarra (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · km អង្គុយ (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ar جَلَسَ (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · de sich setzen (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh sȅsti (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · be садзі́цца (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ru сади́ться (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cmn 坐下 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh śȅsti (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cy mynd ar ei eistedd (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · dsb sednuś se (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tl lumuklok (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · uz oʻtirmoq (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · cs sednout si (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ro așeza (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh с́е̏сти (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · mk седнува (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · it assettarsi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · uk сіда́ти (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · xal суух (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · nan-hbl 坐落來 /坐落来 (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ky отуруу (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · la cōnsīdō (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · rm seser (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tr oturmak (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ug ئولتۇرماق (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · tpi sindaun (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · kmr rûniştin (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · la sīdō (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · mn суух (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · io sideskar (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · bg се́дна (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · it accomodarsi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · eu eseri (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · bcl tukaw (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · hy նստել (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · vi ngồi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · gl sentar (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · sh sisti (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · eo sidiĝi (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · yua kutal (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · hu leül (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · ca asseure's (to assume a sitting position from a standing position) · grc καθίζω (to assume a sitting position from a standing position)