Word
doormat
Phoneticsdoor·mat, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɔɹˌmæt/
UK/dˈɔːmæt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a flat mat you put in front of a door to clean your shoes on. People also use it to describe someone who lets others treat them badly without standing up for themselves.
n. a flat, coarse mat placed at a doorway for wiping dirt from shoes. Extended metaphorically to a person who passively submits to mistreatment or domination.
Examples
“She wipes her shoes on the doormat.”
“He leaves his wet boots on the doormat by the front door every evening.”
“The coir doormat, frayed by years of winter grit and summer dust, still lay squarely before the farmhouse door.”
Examples
simple
“She wipes her shoes on the doormat.”
contextual
“He leaves his wet boots on the doormat by the front door every evening.”
complex
“The coir doormat, frayed by years of winter grit and summer dust, still lay squarely before the farmhouse door.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “doormat” in context.
Verb
01. clean doormat
“I need to clean the doormat before the guests arrive.”
verb + noun
02. doormat says
“Our doormat says WELCOME in bright red letters.”
noun + verb
03. place doormat
“We placed the doormat in front of the door.”
verb + noun
04. shake doormat
“She went outside to shake the doormat clean.”
verb + noun
05. stand on doormat
“Please stand on the doormat while I open the door.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
06. dirty doormat
“Please wipe your shoes - the doormat is really dirty.”
adj + noun
07. front doormat
“Leave your wet umbrella by the front doormat.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. doorstep doormat
“He left the small parcel on the doorstep doormat.”
noun + noun
09. hallway doormat
“The hallway doormat was wet from the rain.”
noun + noun
10. don't be a doormat
“Stand up for yourself and don't be a doormat!”
11. leave shoes on the doormat
“Please leave your wet shoes on the doormat.”
12. put a doormat outside
“We put a doormat outside the front door.”
Etymology
From door + mat.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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