Reclined

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Leant backward in a relaxed or resting pose, usually supported by something like a chair or surface
2. Positioned the body at an angle away from upright, typically to rest or relax
3. Tilted the torso or entire body backward, often to take a comfortable or resting stance

Etymology: "Reclined" is the past tense and past participle of "recline," which English borrowed from Latin "reclīnāre," meaning "to bend back." The Latin verb combines "re-," meaning "back," with "clīnāre," "to lean or bend," the same root that gave English "incline" and "decline." Each of those words keeps the core image of something tilting in a particular direction: to incline is to lean toward, to decline is to bend away, and to recline is to bend backward until the body rests against a support. That original sense is still visible in the modern meaning. To recline is less about lying flat than about settling into a leaning position, with the back and shoulders supported. The word therefore describes a deliberate, relaxed posture rather than simply falling or stretching out.

Synonyms: leaned, lay back, lounged, sprawled, rested

Antonyms: sat up, rose, stood, straightened, ascended