sofa
Americannoun
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.
But what type of fan are you - a die-hard enthusiast analysing all the tactics, a bag of nerves who watches from behind the sofa or an eternal optimist happy to go with the flow?
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
On the third hand, there’s the $111 billion and yet highly transitory elephant that has vacated the sofa.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
As Lin scrubbed the floor on her knees, it picked up rubbish and folded clothes strewn across a sofa.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
On a warm day in mid-May, Grohl appears relaxed and self-assured — but not arrogant — as she idles on a sofa in a cozy Studio City ADU owned by her publicist.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
She licks her lips, then hops up on the sofa and licks her paws too.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
