couch potato

American  

noun

1. Informal. a person whose leisure time is spent watching television.

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couch potato British  

noun

1. slang a lazy person whose recreation consists chiefly of watching television and videos

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Usage

What does couch potato mean? Couch potato is a slang term for a person who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch watching TV or otherwise lazily lounging and loafing around. Couch potato is often used in a mildly negative way to criticize a person for spending too much time doing this instead of doing more productive activities. But it can also be used in a more neutral way. For example, someone might say they like to relax by spending the weekend as a couch potato. Example: You kids should go outside and play once in a while instead of spending the whole summer watching TV and being couch potatoes!

Etymology

Origin of couch potato

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Couch potato salad: A cookie crumb/ crushed-chip/ popcorn kernel blend vacuumed from under the sofa cushions.

From Washington Post • May 25, 2016