armchair

armchair — noun

1. a soft, padded seat for one person, with raised side panels so the sitter's elbo

1.nounA2
Definition

a soft, padded seat for one person, with raised side panels so the sitter's elbows have somewhere to lean.

Example

Grandpa fell asleep in his favourite leather armchair by the fire.

preposition: in an armchair

Lucy curled up in the big green armchair with her book and a cup of tea.

collocation: curl up in an armchair

Common collocations
  • leather armchair
  • favourite armchair
  • sink into an armchair
  • curl up in an armchair
Synonyms
  • easy chair

    everyday term for a soft padded chair, often older usage

  • recliner

    an armchair whose back tilts backwards for resting

  • wingback

    an armchair with tall side panels near the head

Antonyms
  • stool

    a small seat with no back or arms

Grammar Patterns

sit in an armchair

Usage Note

Always countable. Subject usually sits in an armchair (preposition 'in'), not 'on', because of the deep seat.

Common Mistakes

I sat on the armchair to read.
I sat in the armchair to read.
armchairs use 'in', not 'on', because the sides surround you.

armchair — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four name padded seats with arm supports, but they differ in shape and tone. 'Armchair' is the everyday word and works in any room — a leather armchair in a study, a fabric armchair in a living room. 'Easy chair' sounds slightly old-fashioned and stresses comfort over style; an aunt might offer you the easy chair by the window. A 'recliner' is a specific type of armchair whose back tilts and whose footrest lifts, so it is mostly chosen for napping or watching films. A 'wingback' has tall side panels near the head that originally blocked draughts, so it sounds formal and traditional, often paired with a fireplace or a library setting.

armchair ↗easy chairreclinerwingback

Common collocations

Nouns

  • armchair critic
  • armchair quarterback
  • armchair traveller
  • armchair expert

Phrases

  • sink into an armchair
  • curl up in an armchair
  • from the comfort of one's armchair

Prepositions

  • in an armchair
  • into an armchair

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed in English in the early 1600s by joining 'arm' (the limb, and by extension the side support of a chair) with 'chair'. The adjective sense, meaning someone who comments without first-hand involvement, grew out of the image of a person sitting comfortably at home and judging events they have not taken part in; it became common in the early 1900s, with phrases like 'armchair critic' and the American 'armchair quarterback'.