Meaning & use
an armchair
Last updated
UK/ən ˈɑːm.tʃeə/
US/ən ˈɑːrm.tʃer/
Meaning
nouncountable
A comfortable chair with supports on both sides for your arms.
Grammar: Countable: say an armchair, two armchairs.
Patterns
- sit in an armchair
- a comfortable armchair
She curled up in an armchair with a book.
The living room has two armchairs and a sofa.
He fell asleep in his favorite armchair.
Word forms
| plural | armchairs |
|---|
Common combinations
- sit in an armchair
- Grandpa likes to sit in an armchair by the window.
- a comfortable armchair
- This old armchair is really comfortable.
- a leather armchair
- They bought a brown leather armchair for the study.
- an armchair by the fire
- She read her book in an armchair by the fire.
Synonyms and how they differ
- easy chair
- A more old-fashioned term for a large, soft armchair.
- recliner
- An armchair whose back can lean backward for resting.
Word family
- armchair adjective
- Used before a noun to mean done from home without active involvement, as in armchair critic.
Commonly confused: an armchair or sofa?
an armchair vs sofa
A sofa is a long seat for two or more people, while an armchair is for one person.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'an armchair' correctly?
Choose one answer.
You sit in an armchair because it is a chair with a seat and sides. 'On' is used for flat surfaces, 'at' for tables, and 'by' means next to, not inside.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an armchair”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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