armchair

Everyday

1. An armchair is a comfortable chair with side parts to rest your arms on. tree →
2. (informal, before a noun) Armchair describes someone who talks about or follows something without doing it themselves: an armchair fan, an armchair traveller, an armchair expert. tree →

In the lessons

Used in describing homes and stories («Grandpa dozed in his armchair»), and in everyday talk about people who only watch or talk.

Examples

• Grandpa fell asleep in his armchair. tree →
• The cat curled up on the armchair. tree →
• We bought a big red armchair for the living room. tree →
• He's an armchair football fan who never plays. tree →
• She is an armchair traveller who loves reading about far-off places. tree →
• Armchair experts on TV always know what the coach should have done. tree →
• They were together in the armchair by this time, and Wendy plied him with more questions. tree →

Note

Compound: arm + chair. «Armchair» as an adjective is often a little mocking: an «armchair critic» judges without real experience.