From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsitsit /sɪt/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle sat /sæt/, present participle sitting) 1 in a chair etc a) (also be sitting down) [intransitive]SIT to be on a chair or seat, or on the ground, with the top half of your body upright and your weight resting on your buttockssit on/in/by etc I sat on the shore and looked at the sea. She was sitting in a chair by the fire. She’s the girl who sits next to me at school. In the driving seat sat a man of average height.sit at a desk/table etc (=sit facing it) Jean sat at the table writing a letter.sit doing something They sat sipping their drinks. We used to sit and listen to her for hours. b) (also sit down) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to get into a sitting position somewhere after you have been standing up He came over and sat beside her. Sam sat opposite her and accepted a cigarette. c) (also sit somebody down) [transitive always + adverb/preposition]SIT to make someone sit, or help them to sitsit somebody on/in etc something I gently led her to the chair and sat her on it.2 objects/buildings etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]BE to be in a particular position or conditionsit on/in etc a little church sitting on a hillside The parliament building sits in a large square. He’s got a computer sitting on his desk, but he doesn’t use it. My climbing boots were sitting unused in a cupboard. The house has sat empty for two years.3 do nothing [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]NOT DO something to stay in one place for a long time, especially sitting down, doing nothing useful or helpful I spent half the morning sitting in a traffic jam. Well, I can’t sit here chatting all day. Are you just going to sit there complaining?4 committee/parliament etc [intransitive]MEMBER to be a member of a committee, parliament, or other official groupsit in/on They both sat on the management committee. He was the first journalist to sit in parliament.5 meetingMEET [intransitive] to have a meeting in order to carry out official business The council only sits once a month. The court will sit until all the evidence has been heard. 6 animal/bird [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] a) HBASITto be in, or get into, a resting position, with the tail end of the body resting on a surface The cat likes to sit on the wall outside the kitchen. b) Sit! used to tell a dog to sit with the tail end of its body resting on the ground or floor c) HBBif a bird sits on its eggs, it covers them with its body to make the eggs hatch7 look after [intransitive + for]LOOK AFTER somebody to look after a baby or child while its parents are out SYN babysit8 → sit tight9 → be sitting pretty10 → sit in judgment (on/over somebody)11 → not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody)12 → sit on the fence13 → sit on your hands14 exams [intransitive, transitive] British EnglishEXAM/TEST to take an examination Tracy’s sitting her GCSEs this year.sit for They were preparing children to sit for the entry examination.15 picture/photo [intransitive]TCMAVP to sit somewhere so that you can be painted or photographedsit for She sat for (=was painted by) Holman Hunt and Millais.COLLOCATIONSadverbssit still (=without moving)Young children find it almost impossible to sit still.sit quietly (=without talking)Mac sat quietly in the back of the car.be sitting comfortablyShe was sitting comfortably on the sofa.sit up straight/sit upright (=with your back straight)Sit up straight at the table, Maddie.sit bolt upright (=suddenly sit up very straight, for example because you hear something)Suddenly she sat bolt upright and said, ‘What was that?’sit cross-legged (=with your legs bent and crossed over in front of you)She sat cross-legged on the grass. THESAURUSsit to be resting your weight on your bottom somewhere, or to move into this positionHe was sitting in front of the fire.She sat on the bed and kicked off her shoes.Who is the man sitting next to Karen?sit down to sit on a chair, bed, floor etc after you have been standingI sat down on the sofa.Come in and sit down.be seated formal to be sitting in a particular chair or placeJohn was seated on my left.There was a man seated behind the desk.take a seat to sit – used especially when asking someone to sit downPlease take a seat – she will be with you in a minute.Would the audience please take their seats – the show will begin in five minutes.sink into something to sit in a comfortable chair and let yourself fall back into itWe switched on the TV and sank into our armchairs.lounge to sit in a very comfortable relaxed wayThey lounged around all day by the pool.perch to sit on the edge of somethingHe perched on the arm of the sofa. My sister was perched (=was sitting) on a high stool.be slumped to be sitting while leaning against something, especially because you are injured, drunk, or asleepThey found him slumped against the steering wheel.squat to sit with your knees bent under you, your bottom just off the ground, balancing on your feetA little boy was squatting at the edge of the pool. → sit around → sit back → sit by → sit down → sit in → sit in for somebody → sit on something → sit something ↔ out → sit through something → sit up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
sit• Riker and I and Reacher and the gunner sat around the Huey and ate lunch.• We all used to sit around the kitchen table, smoking and chatting.• An grey-haired woman was sitting at the reception desk.• He came over to me, picked up the piece of paper before me, and sat back down on the bed.• It's so hot in here. Shall we go and sit by the window?• Claude and Ruth were talking quietly with Pat, who sat cross-legged on the sofa.• He sat down right beside me.• Taking the book to the chair by the fire, Alexandra sat down with it in her hand.• The power struggle went on for about a minute, then the Archon sat down.• Is it okay if I sit here?• The Court of Appeals sits in San Francisco.• I saw a man with grey hair sitting in the car next to Jean.• I sat my final exams last year.• Do you want to sit next to Brian?• Jeff's dog sat next to his chair as we talked.• Peter would have liked to sit next to Kate but he had lacked the necessary social agility to secure the centre position.• Come and sit next to me -- I haven't seen you for ages.• Come and sit on Mommy's knee.• Billy sat on the edge of the desk, swinging his legs.• The cistern of the close-coupled design sits on top of the pan and is connected directly to it.• Let's go sit outside.• A woman in a huge hat came and sat right in front of us.• I wish you children would sit still for 10 minutes.• He sat thinking how he was stuck with her, how there was no privacy in this house for emergency situations.• After a few days, he was finally allowed to sit up in bed.sit and• As usual, after the first appreciative murmurs, we sat and ate our meal in silence.• I sat and dropped my head into my hands.• Sometimes he'd sit and look at it, and his eyes would sting with the tears of despair.• Juliet and David sat and looked at each other.• And they sat and they plotted what they should do next.• Many things are unclear to me, including myself, and I want to sit and think.• And George just sat and watched.• She sits and worries about the new season.sat empty• Both pads then sat empty for about a year.sit there• Are you just going to sit there all afternoon?• Aunt Anna makes the dough, and everybody sits there and cuts and makes tortellini.• Do we sit there and take it from others?• I sat there and twiddled my thumbs.• Yet I sat there feeling helpless and knowing I was being laughed at.• We'd just sit there in silence.• As they sat there some one came up and, as was not unusual, joined them in their conversation.• The woman just sat there staring as the packages were opened.• They have sat there too long.sit in/on• At a washout she sat in a cold stupor while Oliver lit the lantern and looked the place over.• They were the first couple in parliamentary history to sit on a front bench together in either House.• Henry sat in his chair as the seconds ticked away.• Republicans bewail what they say is a likelihood that Democrats will sit on nominations.• Therefore, I can speak of the experience when four hon. Members sit in quasi-judicial godliness hearing the arguments for and against.• Why pay Vaughn $ 4 million this season to sit on the bench?• In the evening he sat on the porch, thinking.Origin sit Old English sittan 