backseat
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A seat at the rear of a vehicle: A physical seat located in the back part of a car, bus, or other automobile.
- A secondary or inferior position or status: A metaphorical position of less importance, influence, or priority compared to something else.
Usage Examples
Noun (Physical Seat):
- The children always argue over who gets to sit in the backseat.
- Please put your bag on the backseat of the car.
Noun (Metaphorical Position):
- During the crisis, personal hobbies had to take a backseat to more urgent family matters.
- He refused to take a backseat in the company's decision-making process.
Advanced Usage
- "to take a backseat (to someone/something)": To willingly or unwillingly assume a less active or important role; to allow something else to have priority.
- She decided to take a backseat to her colleague on this project to gain a different perspective.
- "backseat driver": A passenger who gives the driver unsolicited advice or criticism; figuratively, a person who offers unwanted advice on a task they are not in charge of.
- I can't concentrate on driving with you being such a backseat driver.
Variants and Related Words
- Back-seat (adjective, often hyphenated): Pertaining to or located in the backseat.
- We installed a new back-seat entertainment system.
Synonyms
- Rear seat: For the physical seat.
- Secondary position / Subordinate role: For the metaphorical status.
Related Phrases
- Take a back seat: (Phrasal verb form, often spelled as three words) To accept a position of less importance.
- His ambitions took a back seat after he started a family.
Related Idioms
- "Backseat driver": As defined in Advanced Usage.
- "Take a backseat": As defined in Advanced Usage and Related Phrases. This is the primary idiomatic use of the word.
Noun
- a seat at the back of a vehicle (especially the seat at the back of an automobile)
- a secondary or inferior position or status
- tennis has had to take a backseat while his work is so demanding