Meaning & use
armchair
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A comfortable chair with supports on each side for resting your arms.
Grammar: Countable: 'an armchair', 'two armchairs'.
Patterns
- sit in an armchair
- a comfortable armchair
He settled into a deep armchair by the fire.
The living room has two armchairs and a sofa.
She put her book on the arm of the armchair.
adjectivebefore a noundisapproving
Describing someone who gives opinions or advice about something without taking part in it or having real experience.
Grammar: Used only before a noun, most often in 'armchair critic' or 'armchair expert'.
Patterns
- armchair critic
- armchair expert
- armchair traveler
It's easy to be an armchair critic when you're not the one playing.
Armchair experts were quick to blame the coach after the loss.
Word forms
| plural | armchairs |
|---|
Common combinations
- comfortable armchair
- She sank into a comfortable armchair.
- sit in an armchair
- Grandpa likes to sit in his armchair and read.
- armchair critic
- Don't be an armchair critic; get involved.
- armchair traveler
- As an armchair traveler, he explores the world through books.
Synonyms and how they differ
- easy chair
- A comfortable chair, often with arms; 'armchair' is the more common everyday word.
- recliner
- An armchair whose back can be tilted and footrest raised; more specific.
Word family
- armchair adjective
- As in 'armchair critic'.
Commonly confused: armchair or sofa?
armchair vs sofa
A sofa seats two or more people, while an armchair is for one.
Practice
He's just an ______ critic — he's never actually done the job.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'armchair critic', meaning someone who criticizes without real experience; the other options are unrelated nouns.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “armchair”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.