couch potato

Meaning

This idiom describes a lazy person who spends an excessive amount of time sitting or lying on the couch watching television. It is often used in a lighthearted, slightly critical, or humorous way. It highlights a lack of physical activity and a preference for screen time.

Examples

• My brother has become a real couch potato since the new gaming console came out.

  My brother has become a real couch potato since the new gaming console came out.

• I spent the entire rainy Sunday being a couch potato and watching Netflix.

  I spent the entire rainy Sunday being a couch potato and watching Netflix.

• Stop being such a couch potato and go get some fresh air!

  Stop being such a couch potato and go get some fresh air!

• During the holidays, it is easy to turn into a couch potato.

  During the holidays, it is easy to turn into a couch potato.

• She used to be a couch potato, but now she goes to the gym every day.

  She used to be a couch potato, but now she goes to the gym every day.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He is a sofa potato.

  ✓ He is a couch potato.

  Idioms are fixed expressions. Even though 'sofa' and 'couch' are synonyms, you cannot change 'couch' to 'sofa' in this idiom.

• ✗ I sat like a couch potato.

  ✓ I was a couch potato.

  'Couch potato' is a noun, not an adverb. You 'are' a couch potato or you 'act like' one, but you do not 'sit like' one.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Instead of going outside, he stayed inside like a ___ all weekend.

  💡 A common idiom for someone who lazily watches TV or screens all day.

  Show answer

  couch potato

• I need to stop being a ___ and start exercising.

  💡 A lazy person who stays on the sofa.

  Show answer

  couch potato