sit out
B1 neutral both both
In simple words
to stay out of an activity and wait until it finishes
Literal meaning: to sit until the outside event finishes
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
to choose not to take part in an activity and wait for it to end
"I twisted my ankle, so I'll sit out the next match."
"He sat out the war."
— Common biographical/historical phrasing; exact source not recalled
Grammar: both
2 B2
idiomatic
neutral
to stay in a place until something unpleasant or difficult has finished
"We decided to sit out the storm in the cabin."
Grammar: both
3 B1 neutral
to remain seated instead of dancing during a piece of music
"She sat out the slow songs because she was tired."
Grammar: both
Usage notes
Very common with dances, games, wars, and difficult periods. Can be literal or figurative.
Commonly used with
dance game election storm injury season
Forms
Base
sit out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sits out
he/she/it
Past simple
sat out
yesterday
Past participle
sat out
have + pp
-ing form
sitting out
continuous
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Synonyms
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