Meaning & use
mouse potato
Last updated
UK/ˈmaʊs pəˌteɪtəʊ/
US/ˈmaʊs pəˌteɪtoʊ/
Meaning
nouncountableinformalhumorous
A person who spends a lot of time sitting at a computer, often not moving much.
Grammar: Countable: one mouse potato, two mouse potatoes.
Patterns
- a mouse potato
- be a mouse potato
Since he started gaming online, he has become a real mouse potato.
My sister calls herself a mouse potato because she works and relaxes at the same desk all day.
Word forms
| plural | mouse potatoes |
|---|
Common combinations
- become a mouse potato
- After buying a new computer, he quickly became a mouse potato.
- a real mouse potato
- She jokes that her brother is a real mouse potato.
- turn into a mouse potato
- Working from home turned him into a mouse potato.
Synonyms and how they differ
- couch potato
- This means someone who watches a lot of television, not someone who uses a computer.
- computer addict
- This is stronger and more negative; it suggests a harmful addiction, while 'mouse potato' is usually light and joking.
Practice
Choose the best word to complete the sentence: 'He spends every evening online and never exercises; he's a total ______.'
Choose one answer.
'Mouse potato' fits because the person spends hours at a computer. 'Couch potato' is tempting but refers to watching television, not using a computer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mouse potato”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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