armchair
Americannoun
-
armchairs
plural
adjective
-
theorizing without the benefit of practical experience.
an armchair football coach.
-
participating or experiencing indirectly or vicariously.
an armchair traveler.
noun
-
a chair, esp an upholstered one, that has side supports for the arms or elbows
-
(modifier) taking no active part; lacking practical experience; theoretical
an armchair strategist
-
(modifier) participated in away from the place of action or in the home
armchair theatre
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of armchair
Explanation
An armchair is a comfortable, cushioned chair with a support on each side, where you can rest your arms while you sit. Some armchairs are big enough that you can curl up and read a book in them. Armchairs are distinguished by their "arms," rests built to comfortably support your arms. Most armchairs are also upholstered and soft enough for you to sink into a bit when you sit down. The word is also used as an adjective to jokingly describe someone who isn't an expert in something but acts like one: "Those armchair athletes always seem to know what the players and coaches should have done."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Seated in an armchair, dressed in a blue hospital gown, with his left arm in a sling, the security guard said his faith sustained him during the harrowing hours.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
In our Valley Stream, Long Island home, my youthful 80-year-old, African American mother and I — her Gen X son and facial clone — comment on each episode like armchair judges.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
He would raise money from fellow cattlemen and armchair investors—dozens of people across Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas and Canada.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
"The journey will be the equivalent to running a marathon - getting out of bed and into an armchair is so tiring," Nic said.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
The lord of Ashton Place leaned forward in his armchair and fixed her with his blurry gaze.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
The delegates sit in fine mahogany armchairs, not the plain Windsor chairs actually provided.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Then she built two armchairs in that room that I bought from her in the same drapes.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
For deeper exploration, the scientists rely on OceanX's ROV, operated from a futuristic-looking "mission control" where two crew members sit in gamer-style armchairs.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
The next day DaCosta, 35, and Thompson, 42, are sitting in a pair of side-by-side armchairs in a hotel suite amid lights and cameras while on a break from a series of television interviews.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
