noun

couch potato

KOWCH puh-TAY-toh

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Couch potato (noun) means a person who spends a great deal of time sitting watching television or screens and takes very little exercise. Example: “Three weeks off work and he turned into a complete couch potato.”

noun

informal A person who spends a great deal of time sitting watching television or screens and takes very little exercise.

"Three weeks off work and he turned into a complete couch potato."

"The campaign is aimed at getting couch potatoes off the sofa and walking."

"Bah! What lesson can a couch potato father teach his kids!"

"Being a couch potato won't let you help achieve your goals."

How to use couch potato

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone who sits watching TV all day instead of moving about.

When to use it

Informal but entirely mainstream, including in health campaigns and news writing.

Memory tip

The plural is couch potatoes, and the derived noun is 'couch-potato lifestyle' when used before a noun.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

mouse potato sofa surfer layabout

Common pairings

a bit of a couch potato turn into a couch potato couch potato lifestyle

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “couch potato” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Three weeks off work and he turned into a complete _____.

Etymology

Formed from couch and potato; it was coined by Tom Iacino in 1976 as a pun on boob tuber (from boob tube (“television”) and tuber (“potato”)), and was trademarked by Robert Armstrong from 1976 to 1991.

Synonyms

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sofa spud layabout slob idler

Antonyms

gym rat fitness fanatic go-getter

Related words

worker idler slob morepork sluggard sloven lallygag scunge

Rhymes for couch potato

gato Mato Cato nato vato Kato Sato Dato Plato tomato potato gelato

See all rhymes for couch potato →

Frequently asked questions

Is couch potato an insult?

It is mildly insulting but usually affectionate or self-deprecating. People happily call themselves couch potatoes, which they would not do with a harsher word like 'slob'.

What is the British equivalent of couch potato?

British English uses couch potato freely, and also 'sofa spud' as a playful variant. 'Telly addict' covers similar ground with more emphasis on the watching than the sitting.

Why is it called a couch potato?

The image combines the couch that the person never leaves with a potato as a shapeless, inert vegetable — with a pun on the old slang term for a television as the boob tube. It is a late-twentieth-century American coinage.

What is the meaning of couch potato?

"couch potato" (noun) means a person who spends a great deal of time sitting watching television or screens and takes very little exercise.

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worker idler slob morepork sluggard sloven lallygag scunge