doormat

[ dawr-mat, dohr- ]

noun

1. a mat, usually placed before a door or other entrance, for people arriving to wipe their shoes on before entering.
2. a person who is the habitual object of abuse or humiliation by another.

doormat

/ ˈdɔːˌmæt /

noun

1. a mat, placed at the entrance to a building, for wiping dirt from shoes
2. informal.
   a person who offers little resistance to ill-treatment by others

Word History and Origins

Origin of doormat¹

First recorded in 1655–65; door + mat ¹

Example Sentences

A BBC News investigation has found that leaseholders have had to pay hundreds of pounds for services such as key-cutting and the cleaning of doormats and council bins.

From BBC

"A letter on the doormat is really not effective," he said.

From BBC

In an unintentionally funny recent fundraising email, Trump brags about a personalized doormat where you can literally step on “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2024” each time you enter and leave your home.

From Salon

Labour MP Liam Byrne, chair of the committee, said: "It's high time for the circus of recent weeks to end and for cheques to start landing on the doormats of innocent victims."

From BBC

Then, there were the small but critical details—for example, maintaining the benefits of that buffer meant he also couldn’t have flammable materials like a doormat at his front door.

From National Geographic

Related Words

• groupie
• lackey