doormat

/'dɔ:mæt/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
doormat

A family wipes their shoes on the doormat before entering the house.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A mat placed outside an exterior door for wiping shoes: A piece of material, often made of coarse fabric, rubber, or other durable material, placed at the entrance to a building to allow people to clean the dirt from their shoes before entering.
    • A person who is physically weak and ineffectual: (Figurative, informal) A person who allows others to treat them badly without defending themselves or protesting; a submissive or easily dominated person.
Usage Examples
  • Literal meaning (a mat):
    • Please wipe your feet on the doormat before you come in.
    • We bought a new coir doormat for the front door.
  • Figurative meaning (a person):
    • She felt like a doormat, always agreeing to work late while others went home.
    • He told his friend to stop being a doormat and stand up to the bullies.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be treated like a doormat": To be treated with a complete lack of respect, as if one's feelings and rights do not matter.
    • After years of being treated like a doormat by her boss, she finally quit her job.
  • "doormat syndrome": (Informal) A pattern of behavior where a person habitually submits to the demands or poor treatment of others.
Variants and Related Words
  • Welcome mat (n): A type of doormat, often with a friendly message like "Welcome".
    • Their welcome mat had a cheerful design.
  • Mat (n): A more general term for a piece of material placed on a floor. A doormat is a specific type of mat.
Synonyms
  • Literal: Entrance mat, scraper mat, footwiper.
  • Figurative: Pushover, weakling, milquetoast, yes-man, underling.
Related Idioms
  • "Lie down like a doormat": To accept poor treatment without any resistance.
    • I won't just lie down like a doormat and let them take credit for my work.
  • "Wipe your feet on someone": An idiom related to the figurative meaning, meaning to treat someone with contempt or disrespect.
    • He felt his colleagues were wiping their feet on him.
doormat

A family wipes their shoes on the doormat before entering the house.

Noun
  1. a mat placed outside an exterior door for wiping the shoes before entering
  2. a person who is physically weak and ineffectual

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