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.

Noun

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