armchair

UK /ˈɑːm.tʃeə/ US /ˈɑːrm.tʃer/ Syllables: arm-chair

Pronunciation

Noun A1 Beginner Neutral

A large, comfortable chair with padded arms and a soft back, usually found in a living room.

An armchair is a large, comfortable chair with a place on each side to rest your arms. Most armchairs are padded and sit in a living room, a reading corner or a study. Someone can read the newspaper, watch television or have a nap in an armchair. The word is also used in phrases like armchair traveler or armchair critic, which describe a person who talks about something without doing it. They sit at home and give opinions.

"Grandpa fell asleep in his armchair right after dinner."

Example sentences

"My grandfather sleeps in his armchair after lunch."

Level A2
"She sat in the armchair and read a book."

Level A1
"They bought a new armchair for the living room."

Level A2
"He is an armchair critic who never plays himself."

Level C1

Synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms

easy chair

Look-alikes and common mistakes

sofa : A sofa seats two or more people. An armchair is for one.
rocking chair : A rocking chair moves back and forth. An armchair stays still.

Word family and forms

Forms: armchairs

arm chair armchair critic

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "armchair".

a comfortable armchair
sit in an armchair
an old armchair
an armchair traveler
an armchair critic
a leather armchair

Origin

Armchair is made from arm plus chair, and it is first recorded in English in the 1620s and 1630s. The name describes what is special about this chair: it has arms.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Armchair is arm plus chair. A chair with arms to rest on.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "My grandfather sleeps in his _____ after lunch."

Answer: armchair

In your own words, what does "armchair" mean?