sit down

What it means

To move from a standing position into a seated one, lowering yourself onto a chair, sofa, or other surface. It's a basic everyday command and description.

Examples

• Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable.
• He sat down on the bench to tie his shoelaces.
• Let's sit down and have a proper conversation about this.
• She sat down at her desk and started reading the emails.

Where it comes from

Inseparable. The opposite of 'stand up'. 'Sit' alone can carry the same meaning ('sit here'), but 'sit down' feels more complete and is the natural choice when describing the action of taking a seat. It can also figuratively mean to have a serious talk ('let's sit down and discuss this').

Related phrasal verbs