sofa
Americannoun
-
sofas
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sofa
1615–25; < Turkish < Arabic ṣuffah platform used as a seat
Explanation
A sofa is a piece of furniture that a few people can comfortably sit on together. On a rainy weekend, you and your friends might pile on the sofa to watch scary movies and eat popcorn. A sofa is similar to a couch — officially, it needs to seat at least three or more people to qualify as a sofa. If only two people can fit, it's a love seat. And if it's only big enough for you and your pet hedgehog, it's an armchair. Sofas are typically upholstered, with a high back and arms. The word originated from Turkish, from an Arabic root, suffa, "bench of stone or wood."
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:
Instead, it was a sales manager in Bargersville, Ind., named AJ Woodin, sitting on his sofa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
When a release lever on his sofa broke, Miller’s first instinct was to check Amazon.com for a spare part.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
As her quality of life declined, I couldn't bear the thought of Lara being alone, so for two and a half months I slept on the sofa to be close to her.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The new gadget can detect, for example, if keys fall behind a sofa.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
She wanted Daddy to pick her up in his strong arms and carry her to the sofa.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Although the company never spells it out explicitly, Birkin collectors say that shoppers who buy $100,000 sofas and $20,000 watches get offered the bags first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Wall cabinets, sofas, coffee tables, dining tables, and chairs vanished in an instant. It was as if the entire building had been hollowed out," Wang told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
It sounds rather like the slogan from one of those breathless adverts for discounted sofas.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
As she pedaled along her regular route Wednesday, Phillips found several more sofas, among other things.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
Like a fairy godmother waving a magical wand, she tapped open cabinet doors and pulled out extra fluffy pillows so that we might rest comfortably on the sofas and recover from our arduous expedition.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
