sit-down
/ˈsɪt.daʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɪt.daʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsit-ˈdau̇n/ (ame, mw) · /ˌsɪtˈdaʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɪtˌdaʊn/ (ame, ipa)
sit-down — adjective
1. describing a meal where people sit at a table to eat, rather than standing or ea
describing a meal where people sit at a table to eat, rather than standing or eating food that was bought to take away.
The hotel serves a three-course sit-down dinner every evening in the main dining room.
collocation: sit-down dinner
For their wedding reception, the couple chose a sit-down meal rather than a buffet.
The school cafeteria offers both a sit-down lunch and a grab-and-go option for students.
Mei-Lin's parents host a sit-down dinner every Sunday, with all ten family members seated around the dining table.
The charity gala featured a formal sit-down dinner with speeches and live music.
- seated
More general; 'a seated dinner' is formal but less common than 'sit-down dinner' in everyday speech.
- buffet-style
A buffet meal involves standing and walking to a food table, the opposite of table service.
- takeaway
Food bought to eat elsewhere, not at a table.
文法句型
sit-down + noun (meal, dinner, lunch)
用法筆記
Attributive only — used before nouns such as dinner, meal, lunch, and banquet. Never used predicatively (❌ 'The dinner was sit-down').
常見錯誤
2. describing a restaurant or cafe where customers are served at tables, rather tha
describing a restaurant or cafe where customers are served at tables, rather than one that sells food to be taken away.
The new sushi bar is a sit-down restaurant with tables for about forty customers.
collocation: sit-down restaurant
Unlike the food trucks outside, this sit-down restaurant has a full kitchen and waitstaff.
contrast: sit-down restaurant vs food truck
Amir searched for a sit-down restaurant where he could eat his lunch at a proper table.
The old town has mostly takeaway shops and only one proper sit-down restaurant on the main street.
- dine-in
Interchangeable with 'sit-down' in restaurant contexts, though 'dine-in' can also describe the option (eat here vs take away).
- table-service
Emphasises the service format rather than the building type.
文法句型
sit-down + noun (restaurant, cafe)
用法筆記
Used attributively before restaurant or cafe. The opposite concept is expressed as takeaway or fast-food.
3. describing a form of protest where participants take over a space and stay put,
describing a form of protest where participants take over a space and stay put, not moving until those in power agree to their requests.
The factory workers organised a sit-down strike to protest the sudden pay cuts.
collocation: sit-down strike
Students held a sit-down protest in the university library to demand better study facilities.
collocation: sit-down protest
After the company announced the layoffs, employees began a sit-down protest in the main office.
The city government faced public pressure to negotiate with the bus drivers after their sit-down protest entered its third week.
- sit-in
More widely used for student and civil rights protests; 'sit-down' is more common in labour contexts.
- occupation
Broader term that can cover any building occupation, not just sitting.
文法句型
sit-down + noun (strike, protest)
用法筆記
Attributive only — used before strike or protest. The corresponding noun form is 'sit-down' (noun sense 3). Also called a 'sit-in' in some varieties of English.
sit-down — noun
1. a brief pause in which you sit to give yourself a rest, especially after you hav
a brief pause in which you sit to give yourself a rest, especially after you have been standing or walking for a long time.
After walking around the museum for two hours, Fatima needed a sit-down before continuing.
collocation: need a sit-down
The elderly man paused for a quick sit-down on the park bench before walking home.
collocation: a quick sit-down
After walking uphill for over an hour, Wei rested with a short sit-down in the shade of a large tree.
The hikers took a well-earned sit-down by the stream to drink some water and rest.
Yuki felt dizzy and needed a sit-down, so she lowered herself onto the nearest chair.
文法句型
have a sit-down
need a sit-down
a quick sit-down
用法筆記
Almost always used in the singular. The phrase 'have a sit-down' is commonly used in informal British and American English to suggest a short rest break.
常見錯誤
2. a gathering where people sit down with one another to talk through a problem, se
a gathering where people sit down with one another to talk through a problem, settle a disagreement, or decide an important issue.
The landlord and the tenants agreed to a sit-down to discuss the rent increase.
Kwame requested a sit-down with his manager to talk about his career plan.
collocation: a sit-down with [someone]
After weeks of arguing by email, the marketing and design teams arranged a sit-down to resolve the budget conflict.
The union leaders called for a sit-down with the company directors to negotiate the new contract.
- meeting
Neutral and broad; 'sit-down' adds the nuance of seriousness and conflict resolution.
- conference
More formal and often larger in scale.
- summit
Used for high-level negotiations between leaders; more formal than 'sit-down'.
- round-table
Suggests an open discussion among equal participants.
文法句型
have a sit-down with [someone]
a sit-down between [parties]
用法筆記
Implies the meeting is intended to resolve a specific conflict or problem, not just a routine check-in. Frequently used in business and labour contexts.
常見錯誤
3. a form of protest in which workers or demonstrators sit down in a building and r
a form of protest in which workers or demonstrators sit down in a building and refuse to leave until their demands are met.
The workers staged a sit-down that lasted for three days inside the factory building.
collocation: stage a sit-down
Security guards were called in to end the sit-down, but the protesters refused to leave.
collocation: end a sit-down
The union organised a sit-down to demand better safety equipment for the mine workers.
Local news reported on the sit-down at the warehouse, showing footage of workers on the floor.
- sit-in
Commonly used for student protests; 'sit-down' is more traditional in labour disputes.
- strike
Broader — can include walking out; 'sit-down' specifies that workers occupy the workplace.
- occupation
Covers any building takeover, not necessarily involving sitting.
文法句型
stage a sit-down
organise a sit-down
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2 (SERIOUS MEETING) — this sense refers to a protest action, not a discussion. The synonymous adjective form is 'sit-down strike' or 'sit-down protest' (adjective sense 3).
sit-down — phrasal verb
- sit-downbase form
- sit-downs3rd person singular
- sit-downing-ing form
- sit-downedpast simple
1. to lower your body until you are resting on a seat, the floor, or the ground, ra
to lower your body until you are resting on a seat, the floor, or the ground, rather than standing.
Theo sat down on the sofa and turned on the television after work.
pattern: sit down on [furniture]
Please sit down at the table so we can start the meal.
The teacher asked the children to sit down on the carpet for story time.
Olu sat down at his desk and opened his notebook to begin the exam.
Helena felt tired after the run and sat down on the grass to catch her breath.
- take a seat
More polite and formal; often used as an instruction to guests.
- be seated
Formal; used in announcements and written instructions.
文法句型
sit down on [surface]
sit down at [location]
sit down to [activity]
用法筆記
The simple past is 'sat down' (irregular). The phrasal verb is usually written as two separate words ('sit down'), unlike the hyphenated adjective and noun forms ('sit-down'). This distinction matters in formal writing.