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Glite Dictionary
🚫 To not join ⏳ To endure
to sit out

to sit out

11 3.3
Not take part in an activity, often because someone is hurt or chooses not to
  • phrasal verb
  • /sɪt aʊt/
translation icon : no participar
  • She decided to sit out the game because she wasn't feeling well.
  • sit out the game
  • sit out a season
  • sit out a year

And and I got nervous and I was too stoned and I had to go sit out in my car.

Examples

  • So now these boys have the opportunity to play something and not sit out a sports season.

    Blog text (2)

  • That's what the Ron Paul supporters did... they sat out the election, and look what we've got now.

    Blog text (30)

  • Maybe you should sit out the next round.

  • - I think you better sit out the rest of the game.

    The Derby Stallion (2005)

  • It's one thing to sit out the primary.

    Bad (1977)

  • Lucas suffered the injury last August in training camp, which forced him to sit out his senior season.

    Blog text (18)

  • White and Edwards sat out due to NCAA rules on transfer players while Jackson nursed an injury.

    Blog text (26)

  • NEW ORLEANS -- Manu Ginobili sat out then, as he will tonight.

    Blog text (25)

  • With Dwyane Wade sitting out his second consecutive game, James and Bosh received help from others.

    Blog text (30)

  • Barnes, Carson, and Gordon all sat out last season, but they're familiar with one another.

    Blog text (26)

Synonyms

to opt out
vsto sit out
50 3.5

To choose not to take part in something

may happen by choice or because of necessity
to give a miss
vsto sit out
  • UK
7.3

Decide not to go to an event or activity

can also be required rather than a casual skipping

Antonyms

to participate
866 2.5

To join in an activity with other people

How Involved

to join in
143 1.1
to watch
∞ 1.0
to sit out
11 3.3
to stand back
159 1.6
to opt out
50 3.5

Surface Forms

sit out infinitive
sitting out present participle
sits out third person singular
sat out past
sat out past participle

Morphology

sit + out

The meaning 'to not take part in an activity' is directly derivable from combining 'sit' (to remain in place) with 'out' (outside/not participating); the particle 'out' here conveys exclusion from the action. This compositional pattern is a common, predictable phrasal-verb meaning in English and has clear parallels in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Sit out The phrasal verb sit out comes from the image of someone sitting on the side of a game or a dance while others join in, and because they stay out of the action it means 'not take part'.