take a back seat
To adopt a position of noninvolvementTo adopt a position of noninvolvement.
» Can you take your seat, sir?
Ви не могли би зайняти своє місце, пане? — deniko
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 senses(idiomatic)To adopt a position of noninvolvement.
The new chairman is happy to take a back seat when it comes to day-to-day operations.
(idiomatic)To be second to someone or something; to be less important or have a lower priority.
2004, My Life by Bill Clinton But as with most kids, politics took a backseat to daily life.
Examples
139 sentencesCan you take your seat, sir?
Ви не могли би зайняти своє місце, пане? — deniko
Why don't you take a seat?
Чому б тобі не сісти? — deniko
ruПочему бы тебе не присесть? — marafon
deSetz dich doch! — maaster
Why don't you all just take a seat?
Чому б вам усім просто не присісти? — deniko
Please take a seat.
Прошу, сідайте. — deniko
ruСадитесь, пожалуйста. — al_ex_an_der
deBitte setzen Sie sich. — Wolf
Take your seats, please.
Сідай, будь ласка. — aandrusiak
deNehmen Sie bitte Platz! — cumori
Origin
From take a seat and back seat.From take a seat and back seat.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
takes a back seat, taking a back seat, took a back seat, taken a back seat| Base form | take a back seat · to take a back seat |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | takes a back seat |
| Present participle | taking a back seat |
| Past simple | took a back seat |
| Past participle | taken a back seat |
irregular · Lesson
Antonyms
1 antonymsWord family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.