Recline

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈklaɪn/

Definitions

1. To lean or lie back in a relaxed or comfortable position ; to move a part of something so it leans or lies back
2. To position oneself or an object in a backward-tilted or laid-back way ; to adjust something so it angles or rests in a sloping posture
3. To rest or tilt backwards, often for comfort or rest ; to tilt or set something so it is inclined or laid down

Etymology: Latin "reclīnāre" combined "re-", meaning "back," with "clīnāre," "to bend" or "to lean," so the word has always carried the physical image of something tipping backward. The same root sits behind "decline" (bending downward) and "incline" (bending toward), so the three verbs are close relatives that differ only in the direction of the bend. In English the word keeps that bodily sense. A person reclining is leaning back into a supported, sloping posture, and a chair that reclines has a back that tilts to a new angle. The meaning stays concrete rather than shifting toward the abstract, which makes it one of the more literal words in its family.

Synonyms: lean, lie back, rest, slouch, sprawl

Antonyms: sit up, straighten, stand, rise, elevate