"couch potato" meaning in English

See couch potato in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈkaʊtʃ pəˌteɪtəʊ/ [Received-Pronunciation], [ˈkʰäʊ̯t͡ʃ pʰəˌtʰeɪ̯ɾoʊ̯] [General-American], /ˈkæɔtʃ pəˌtæɪtəʉ/ [General-Australian] Audio: en-us-couch potato.ogg , en-au-couch potato.ogg Forms: couch potatoes [plural]
Etymology: From couch + potato; coined by Tom Iacino in 1976 as a pun on boob tuber (from boob tube (“television”) and tuber (“potato”)); trademarked by Robert Armstrong from 1976–91. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|couch|potato}} couch + potato Head templates: {{en-noun|es}} couch potato (plural couch potatoes)
  1. (idiomatic, somewhat derogatory) A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, often watching television, eating snacks or drinking alcohol. Tags: derogatory, idiomatic Synonyms: See also Thesaurus:idler Derived forms: couch-potatoey, desk potato, mouse potato Related terms: lazy Translations (person): sofapokkel (Afrikaans), خَامِل (ḵāmil) [masculine] (Arabic), մեշոկ (mešok) (Armenian), pecivál [masculine] (Czech), gaučák [masculine] (Czech), bankhanger [masculine] (Dutch), sohvaperuna (Finnish), avachi (French), légume (French), pantouflard (French), télézard [Quebec] (French), Nichtstuer [masculine] (German), Stubenhocker [masculine] (German), sófakartafla [feminine] (Icelandic), divanista [feminine, masculine] (Italian), sofagris [masculine] (Norwegian), kanapowy leń [masculine] (Polish), лежебо́ка (ležebóka) [feminine, masculine] (Russian), си́день (sídenʹ) [masculine] (Russian), лентя́й (lentjáj) [masculine] (Russian), безде́льник (bezdélʹnik) [masculine] (Russian), домосе́д (domoséd) [masculine] (Russian), casero [masculine] (Spanish), soffliggare [common-gender] (Swedish), soffpotatis [common-gender] (Swedish)

Inflected forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "カウチポテト"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "couch",
        "3": "potato"
      },
      "expansion": "couch + potato",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From couch + potato; coined by Tom Iacino in 1976 as a pun on boob tuber (from boob tube (“television”) and tuber (“potato”)); trademarked by Robert Armstrong from 1976–91.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "couch potatoes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "es"
      },
      "expansion": "couch potato (plural couch potatoes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 1976",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Afrikaans translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Armenian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "couch-potatoey"
        },
        {
          "word": "desk potato"
        },
        {
          "word": "mouse potato"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              8,
              20
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Being a couch potato won't let you help achieve your goals.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              23,
              35
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Bah! What lesson can a couch potato father teach his kids!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, often watching television, eating snacks or drinking alcohol."
      ],
      "id": "en-couch_potato-en-noun-nQwuo9N0",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "spend",
          "spend"
        ],
        [
          "sitting",
          "sitting"
        ],
        [
          "lying",
          "lying"
        ],
        [
          "watching",
          "watching"
        ],
        [
          "television",
          "television"
        ],
        [
          "snack",
          "snack"
        ],
        [
          "alcohol",
          "alcohol"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, somewhat derogatory) A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, often watching television, eating snacks or drinking alcohol."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "lazy"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "See also Thesaurus:idler"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "af",
          "lang": "Afrikaans",
          "lang_code": "af",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "sofapokkel"
        },
        {
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "lang_code": "ar",
          "roman": "ḵāmil",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "خَامِل"
        },
        {
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "lang_code": "hy",
          "roman": "mešok",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "մեշոկ"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pecivál"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "gaučák"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "lang_code": "nl",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bankhanger"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "sohvaperuna"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "avachi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "légume"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "pantouflard"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "Quebec"
          ],
          "word": "télézard"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Nichtstuer"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Stubenhocker"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "lang_code": "is",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sófakartafla"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "divanista"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "lang_code": "no",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sofagris"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "kanapowy leń"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "ležebóka",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "лежебо́ка"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "sídenʹ",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "си́день"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "lentjáj",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "лентя́й"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "bezdélʹnik",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "безде́льник"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "domoséd",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "домосе́д"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "casero"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "soffliggare"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "soffpotatis"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkaʊtʃ pəˌteɪtəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈkʰäʊ̯t͡ʃ pʰəˌtʰeɪ̯ɾoʊ̯]",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-couch potato.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/05/En-us-couch_potato.ogg/En-us-couch_potato.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/En-us-couch_potato.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkæɔtʃ pəˌtæɪtəʉ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-Australian"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-couch potato.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/En-au-couch_potato.ogg/En-au-couch_potato.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/En-au-couch_potato.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "couch potato"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "couch-potatoey"
    },
    {
      "word": "desk potato"
    },
    {
      "word": "mouse potato"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "カウチポテト"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "couch",
        "3": "potato"
      },
      "expansion": "couch + potato",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From couch + potato; coined by Tom Iacino in 1976 as a pun on boob tuber (from boob tube (“television”) and tuber (“potato”)); trademarked by Robert Armstrong from 1976–91.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "couch potatoes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "es"
      },
      "expansion": "couch potato (plural couch potatoes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "lazy"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 1976",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English compound terms",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Afrikaans translations",
        "Terms with Arabic translations",
        "Terms with Armenian translations",
        "Terms with Czech translations",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Icelandic translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Norwegian translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "en:People"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              8,
              20
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Being a couch potato won't let you help achieve your goals.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              23,
              35
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Bah! What lesson can a couch potato father teach his kids!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, often watching television, eating snacks or drinking alcohol."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "spend",
          "spend"
        ],
        [
          "sitting",
          "sitting"
        ],
        [
          "lying",
          "lying"
        ],
        [
          "watching",
          "watching"
        ],
        [
          "television",
          "television"
        ],
        [
          "snack",
          "snack"
        ],
        [
          "alcohol",
          "alcohol"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, somewhat derogatory) A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, often watching television, eating snacks or drinking alcohol."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "See also Thesaurus:idler"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkaʊtʃ pəˌteɪtəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈkʰäʊ̯t͡ʃ pʰəˌtʰeɪ̯ɾoʊ̯]",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-couch potato.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/05/En-us-couch_potato.ogg/En-us-couch_potato.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/En-us-couch_potato.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkæɔtʃ pəˌtæɪtəʉ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-Australian"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-couch potato.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/En-au-couch_potato.ogg/En-au-couch_potato.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/En-au-couch_potato.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "af",
      "lang": "Afrikaans",
      "lang_code": "af",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "sofapokkel"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "lang_code": "ar",
      "roman": "ḵāmil",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "خَامِل"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "lang_code": "hy",
      "roman": "mešok",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "մեշոկ"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pecivál"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "gaučák"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bankhanger"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "sohvaperuna"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "avachi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "légume"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "pantouflard"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "Quebec"
      ],
      "word": "télézard"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Nichtstuer"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Stubenhocker"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "lang_code": "is",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sófakartafla"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "divanista"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "lang_code": "no",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sofagris"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "kanapowy leń"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "ležebóka",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "лежебо́ка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "sídenʹ",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "си́день"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "lentjáj",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "лентя́й"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "bezdélʹnik",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "безде́льник"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "domoséd",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "домосе́д"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "casero"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "soffliggare"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "soffpotatis"
    }
  ],
  "word": "couch potato"
}

Download raw JSONL data for couch potato meaning in English (6.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-04-01 using wiktextract (7de0cf9 and 9452535). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.