Sit vs. Set — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 14, 2024
"Sit" refers to the action of resting in a seated position, typically done by a person or animal, whereas "set" involves placing or putting something in a specific position or arrangement.
Difference Between Sit and Set
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Sit" is used when referring to someone taking a seated position voluntarily, using their own body to lower themselves onto a surface. While "set" refers to an action where an object (or objects) is placed or arranged, often by someone else.
The verb "sit" is intransitive, meaning it does not require a direct object; one simply "sits" down. On the other hand, "set" is a transitive verb, typically requiring an object that is being set.
In usage, "sit" is often about resting or being stationed in one place, like sitting on a chair or on the floor. Whereas, "set" might involve more deliberate placement, such as setting a vase on a table or setting the time on a clock.
"Sit" can also suggest a duration or a continuous state, as in sitting for a long period. In contrast, "set" often connotes the initiation of a state or condition, such as setting a trap or setting up a meeting.
Regarding grammar, "sit" remains consistent in most of its tenses (sit, sat, sitting), focusing on the subject's action. Conversely, "set" maintains the same form across all tenses (set, set, setting), emphasizing the action upon an object.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Intransitive verb
Transitive verb
Requires Object
No, does not require a direct object
Yes, requires a direct object
Typical Usage
Refers to taking a seated position
Involves placing or arranging something
Example Usage
"She likes to sit by the window."
"He set the book on the table."
Tense Forms
Sit, sat, sitting
Set, set, setting
Compare with Definitions
Sit
To pose for a portrait or photograph.
She sat for her portrait last month.
Set
To fix or establish a time, date, or rate.
The wedding date is set for June next year.
Sit
To hold a meeting or session.
The committee sits every Thursday.
Set
To solidify or become firm.
The jelly takes about four hours to set.
Sit
To rest in a seated position, usually on a chair or on the ground.
He prefers to sit at the back of the classroom.
Set
To put something in a particular place or position.
Please set the dishes on the table.
Sit
To occupy a seat or position, especially with authority.
He sits on the board of directors.
Set
To arrange or prepare something for use or action.
Set the alarm for 6 AM.
Sit
To be located or placed in a specific position.
The statue sits at the center of the park.
Set
To adjust a device or machine.
He set the thermostat to 22 degrees.
Sit
To rest with the torso vertical and the body supported on the buttocks.
Set
Put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position
Catherine set a chair by the bed
Delaney set the mug of tea down
Sit
To rest with the hindquarters lowered onto a supporting surface. Used of animals.
Set
Put or bring into a specified state
The hostages were set free
The Home Secretary set in motion a review of the law
Sit
To perch. Used of birds.
Set
Adjust (a clock or watch), typically to show the right time
Set your watch immediately to local time at your destination
To revert to an old style would be to try to set back the clock and deny the progress which had been made
Sit
To cover eggs for hatching; brood.
Set
Harden into a solid or semi-solid state
Cook for a further thirty-five minutes until the filling has set
Sit
To be situated or located
A house that sits on a hill.
Set
(of the sun, moon, or another celestial body) appear to move towards and below the earth's horizon as the earth rotates
The sun was setting and a warm red glow filled the sky
Sit
To lie or rest
Dishes were sitting on a shelf. See Usage Note at set1.
Set
(of a tide or current) take or have a specified direction or course
A fair tide can be carried well past Land's End before the stream sets to the north
Sit
To pose for an artist or photographer.
Set
Start (a fire)
The school had been broken into and the fire had been set
Sit
To occupy a seat as a member of a body of officials
Sit in Congress.
Set
(of blossom or a tree) form into or produce (fruit)
Wait until first flowers have set fruit before planting out the peppers
Sit
To be in session.
Set
Sit
The rest of them people just set there goggle-eyed for a minute
Sit
To remain inactive or unused
Her expensive skis sat gathering dust.
Set
Group (pupils or students) in sets according to ability.
Sit
To affect one with or as if with a burden; weigh
Official duties sat heavily upon the governor.
Set
A group or collection of things that belong together or resemble one another or are usually found together
A spare set of clothes
A set of false teeth
A new cell with two sets of chromosomes
Sit
To fit, fall, or drape in a specified manner
The jacket sits perfectly on you.
Set
The way in which something is set, disposed, or positioned
The shape and set of the eyes
Sit
To be agreeable to one; please
The idea didn't sit well with any of us.
Set
A radio or television receiver
A TV set
Sit
Chiefly British To take an examination, as for a degree.
Set
A collection of scenery, stage furniture, and other articles used for a particular scene in a play or film.
Sit
To blow from a particular direction. Used of the wind.
Set
An arrangement of the hair when damp so that it dries in the required style
A shampoo and set
Sit
To keep watch or take care of a child.
Set
A cutting, young plant, or bulb used in the propagation of new plants.
Sit
To cause to sit; seat
Sit yourself over there.
Set
The last coat of plaster on a wall.
Sit
To keep one's seat on (an animal)
She sits her horse well.
Set
The amount of spacing in type controlling the distance between letters.
Sit
To sit on (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.
Set
Variant spelling of sett
Sit
To provide seating accommodation for
A theater that sits 1,000 people.
Set
Another term for plant (sense 4 of the noun)
Sit
The act of sitting.
Set
Fixed or arranged in advance
Try to feed the puppy at set times each day
Sit
A period of time spent sitting.
Set
Ready, prepared, or likely to do something
Water costs look set to increase
The first family was set for a quiet night of rest
Both are all set to get married
Sit
The way in which an article of clothing, such as a dress or jacket, fits.
Set
To put in a specified position or arrangement; place
Set a book on a table.
Set the photo next to the flowers.
Sit
To be in a position in which the upper body is upright and supported by the buttocks.
After a long day of walking, it was good just to sit and relax.
Set
To put into a specified state
Set the prisoner at liberty.
Set the house ablaze.
Set the machine in motion.
Sit
To move oneself into such a position.
I asked him to sit.
Set
To cause to begin an action
The noise set the dog to barking.
Sit
To occupy a given position.
The temple has sat atop that hill for centuries.
Jim's pet parrot sat on his left shoulder.
Set
To cause or assign (someone) to undertake an action or perform a service
The sergeant set the recruit to sweeping the barracks.
Sit
To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.
Set
To incite to hostile feeling or action
A dispute that set the neighbors against each other.
Sit
(government) To be a member of a deliberative body.
I currently sit on a standards committee.
Set
To position (oneself) so as to be ready to do something, such as start running a race.
Sit
Of a legislative or, especially, a judicial body such as a court, to be in session.
In what city is the circuit court sitting for this session.
Set
To position or secure so as to be fixed or immobile
Set the fence post in cement.
Sit
To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh.
Set
To put in a mounting; mount
Set an emerald in a pendant.
Sit
To be adjusted; to fit.
Your new coat sits well.
Set
To apply jewels to; stud
The tiara was set with diamonds.
Sit
To be accepted or acceptable; to work.
How will this new contract sit with the workers?
I don’t think it will sit well.
The violence in these video games sits awkwardly with their stated aim of educating children.
Set
To cause (a hook) to become fixed in a fish's mouth.
Sit
To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to.
Sit him in front of the TV and he might watch for hours.
Set
To arrange for the consumption of a meal
Set the table.
Set a place at table.
Sit
(transitive) To accommodate in seats; to seat.
The dining room table sits eight comfortably.
Set
To adjust (an instrument or device) to a specific point or calibration
Set the alarm for 7:00.
Sit
To babysit.
I'm going to sit for them on Thursday.
I need to find someone to sit my kids on Friday evening for four hours.
Set
To prepare (a trap) for catching prey.
Sit
To take, to undergo or complete (an examination or test).
Set
To adjust (a saw) by deflecting the teeth.
Sit
To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.
Set
(Nautical)To spread open to the wind
Set the sails.
Sit
To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of oneself made, such as a picture or a bust.
I'm sitting for a painter this evening.
Set
To arrange scenery on (a theater stage).
Sit
To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.
Set
To restore to a proper and normal state when dislocated or broken
Set a broken arm.
Sit
To keep one's seat when faced with (a blow, attack); to endure, to put up with.
Set
To apply equipment, such as curlers and clips, to (hair) in order to style.
Sit
(mining) Subsidence of the roof of a coal mine.
Set
To concentrate or direct (one's mind or attention, for example) on a purpose or goal.
Sit
An event, usually lasting one full day or more, where the primary goal is to sit in meditation.
Set
To direct or focus (one's desires or hopes, for example) on a certain thing.
Sit
To rest upon the haunches, or the lower extremity of the trunk of the body; - said of human beings, and sometimes of other animals; as, to sit on a sofa, on a chair, or on the ground.
And he came and took the book put of the right hand of him that sate upon the seat.
I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner.
Set
(Sports)To pass (a volleyball), usually with the fingertips, in an arc close to the net so that a teammate can drive it over the net.
Sit
To perch; to rest with the feet drawn up, as birds do on a branch, pole, etc.
Set
To arrange (type) into words and sentences preparatory to printing; compose.
Sit
To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.
And Moses said to . . . the children of Reuben, Shall your brothren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
Like a demigod here sit I in the sky.
Set
To transpose (text, for example) into type.
Sit
To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh; - with on; as, a weight or burden sits lightly upon him.
The calamity sits heavy on us.
Set
To compose (music) to fit a given text.
Sit
To be adjusted; to fit; as, a coat sts well or ill.
This new and gorgeous garment, majesty,Sits not so easy on me as you think.
Set
To write (words) to fit a given melodic line.
Sit
To suit one well or ill, as an act; to become; to befit; - used impersonally.
Set
To declare or demonstrate (a precedent or standard, for instance).
Sit
To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.
As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not.
Set
To provide or establish as a model
A parent must set a good example for the children.
Sit
To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.
Like a good miller that knows how to grind, which way soever the wind sits.
Sits the wind in that quarter?
Set
To establish as the highest level of performance
Set a swimming record.
Sit
To occupy a place or seat as a member of an official body; as, to sit in Congress.
Set
To arrange or establish (a computer password, for example) to allow future action.
Sit
To hold a session; to be in session for official business; - said of legislative assemblies, courts, etc.; as, the court sits in January; the aldermen sit to-night.
Set
To prescribe as a time for
Set the meeting for Friday afternoon.
Sit
To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of one's self made, as a picture or a bust; as, to sit to a painter.
Set
To prescribe the unfolding of (a drama or narrative, for instance) in a specific place
A play that is set in Venice.
Sit
To sit upon; to keep one's seat upon; as, he sits a horse well.
Hardly the muse can sit the headstrong horse.
Set
To value or regard something at the rate of
She sets a great deal by good nutrition.
Sit
To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to; - used reflexively.
They sat them down to weep.
Sit you down, father; rest you.
Set
To fix at a given amount
The judge set bail for the defendant at $50,000.
Sit
To suit (well or ill); to become.
Set
To make as an estimate of worth
We set a high value on human life.
Sit
Be standing; be upright;
We had to stand for the entire performance!
Set
To cause to sit
Set yourself over by the fire.
Sit
Sit around, often unused;
The object sat in the corner
Set
To put (a hen) on eggs for the purpose of hatching them.
Sit
Take a seat
Set
To point to the location of (game) by holding a fixed body position. Used of a hunting dog.
Sit
Be in session;
When does the court of law sit?
Set
(Botany)To produce, as after pollination
Set seed.
Sit
Assume a posture as for artistic purposes;
We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often
Set
To disappear below the horizon
The sun set at seven that evening.
Sit
Sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions;
She never sat a horse!
Did you ever ride a camel?
The girl liked to drive the young mare
Set
To diminish or decline; wane
When the glory of the empire set.
Sit
Work or act as a baby-sitter;
I cannot baby-sit tonight; I have too much homework to do
Set
To sit on eggs. Used of fowl.
Sit
Show to a seat; assign a seat for;
The host seated me next to Mrs. Smith
Set
To become fixed; harden
Allowed the aspic to set.
Set
To become permanent. Used of dye.
Set
To become whole; knit. Used of a broken bone.
Set
To point to the location of game by holding a fixed body position. Used of a hunting dog.
Set
(Botany)To mature or develop, as after pollination.
Set
(Nonstandard)To sit
"If Emmett drives, I could set up front" (Bobbie Ann Mason).
Set
To position oneself preparatory to an action, such as running a race.
Set
Fixed or established by agreement
A set time for the launching.
Set
Established by convention
Followed set procedures for filing a grievance.
Set
Established deliberately; intentional
Our set purpose is to win the conflict.
Set
Fixed and rigid
"His bearded face already has a set, hollow look" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
Set
Unwilling or very reluctant to change
He is set in his ways.
Set
Intent and determined
"He is dead set against rushing abroad to build a plant" (Fortune).
Set
Ready; prepared
We are set to leave early tomorrow morning.
Set
The act or process of setting.
Set
The condition resulting from setting.
Set
The manner in which something is positioned
The set of her cap.
Set
A permanent firming or hardening of a substance, as by cooling.
Set
The deflection of the teeth of a saw.
Set
The carriage or bearing of a part of the body.
Set
A particular psychological state, usually that of anticipation or preparedness
"The mental set of an audience is crucial to his performance" (Psychology Today).
Set
A descent below the horizon.
Set
The direction or course of wind or water.
Set
A seedling, slip, or cutting that is ready for planting.
Set
The act of arranging hair by waving and curling it.
Set
(Sports)The act of setting a volleyball for a teammate.
Set
In Texas hold'em, a hand in which a player has two cards of the same rank and another card of that rank is among the community cards.
Set
A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
A chess set.
Set
A group of persons sharing a common interest
The high-school set.
Set
A group of books or periodicals published as a unit.
Set
A number of couples required for participation in a square dance.
Set
The movements constituting a square dance.
Set
The scenery constructed for a theatrical performance.
Set
The entire enclosure in which a movie is filmed; the sound stage.
Set
A session of music, typically dance music, played before an intermission.
Set
The music so played.
Set
The collective receiving apparatus assembled to operate a radio or television.
Set
(Mathematics) A collection of distinct elements having specific common properties
A set of positive integers.
Set
A group of games constituting one division or unit of a match, as in tennis.
Set
An offensive formation in football or basketball.
Set
Variant of Seth2.
Set
(transitive) To put (something) down, to rest.
Pick up
Set the tray there.
Set
(transitive) To attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
I have set my heart on running the marathon.
Set
(transitive) To put in a specified condition or state; to cause to be.
Set
(transitive) To start (a fire).
Set
To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot.
To set a coach in the mud
Set
(transitive) To determine or settle.
To set the rent
Set
(transitive) To adjust.
Set
(transitive) To punch (a nail) into wood so that its head is below the surface.
Set
(transitive) To arrange with dishes and cutlery, to set the table.
Please set the table for our guests.
Set
(transitive) To introduce or describe.
I’ll tell you what happened, but first let me set the scene.
Set
(transitive) To locate (a play, etc.); to assign a backdrop to, geographically or temporally.
He says he will set his next film in France.
Her debut novel is set during the U.S. Civil War.
Set
(transitive) To compile, to make (a puzzle or challenge).
This crossword was set by Araucaria.
Set
(transitive) To prepare (a stage or film set).
Set
(transitive) To fit (someone) up in a situation.
Set
(transitive) To arrange (type).
It was a complex page, but he set it quickly.
Set
(transitive) To devise and assign (work) to.
The teacher set her students the task of drawing a foot.
Set
To direct (the ball) to a teammate for an attack.
Set
(intransitive) To solidify.
The glue sets in five minutes.
Set
(transitive) To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle.
To set milk for cheese
Set
(intransitive) Of a heavenly body, to disappear below the horizon of a planet, etc, as the latter rotates.
The moon sets at eight o'clock tonight.
Set
To defeat a contract.
Set
To begin to move; to go forth.
Set
To produce after pollination.
To set seed
Set
To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form.
Set
To sit be in a seated position.
He sets in that chair all day.
Set
To hunt game with the aid of a setter.
Set
Of a dog, to indicate the position of game.
The dog sets the bird.
Your dog sets well.
Set
To apply oneself; to undertake earnestly.
Set
(ambitransitive) To fit music to words.
Set
(ambitransitive) To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
To set pear trees in an orchard
Set
To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
Set
To have a certain direction of motion; to flow; to move on; to tend.
The current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
Set
To acknowledge a dancing partner by facing him or her and moving first to one side and then to the other, while she or he does the opposite.
Set to partners! was the next instruction from the caller.
Set
To place or fix in a setting.
To set a precious stone in a border of metal
To set glass in a sash
Set
To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare.
To set (that is, to hone) a razor
To set a saw
Set
To extend and bring into position; to spread.
To set the sails of a ship
Set
To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote.
Set
To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state.
To set a broken bone
Set
(masonry) To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure.
Set
(obsolete) To wager in gambling; to risk.
Set
To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
Set
(obsolete) To value; to rate; used with at.
Set
To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign.
To set a good example
Set
(Scotland) To suit; to become.
It sets him ill.
Set
To divide a class group in a subject according to ability
Set
A punch for setting nails in wood.
Nail set
Set
A device for receiving broadcast radio waves (or, more recently, broadcast data); a radio or television.
Television set
Set
: a hole made and lived in by a badger.
Set
: pattern of threads and yarns.
Set
: piece of quarried stone.
Set
(horticulture) A small tuber or bulb used instead of seed, particularly onion sets and potato sets.
Set
The amount the teeth of a saw protrude to the side in order to create the kerf.
Set
(engineering) A permanent change of shape caused by excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.
The set of a spring
Set
A bias of mind; an attitude or pattern of behaviour.
Set
(piledriving) A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot otherwise be reached by the weight, or hammer.
Set
The width of the body of a type.
Set
A young oyster when first attached.
Set
Collectively, the crop of young oysters in any locality.
Set
A series or group of something. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 4, Noun)
Set
(colloquial) The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit.
The set of a coat
Set
The pattern of a tartan, etc.
Set
The camber of a curved roofing tile.
Set
The full number of eggs set under a hen.
Set
That which is staked; a wager; hence, a gambling game.
Set
A young plant fit for setting out; a slip; shoot.
Set
A rudimentary fruit.
Set
The setting of the sun or other luminary; (by extension) the close of the day.
Set
General movement; direction; drift; tendency.
Set
A matching collection of similar things. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 2, Noun.)
A set of tables
Set
A collection of various objects for a particular purpose.
A set of tools
Set
An object made up of several parts.
A set of steps
Set
(set theory) A collection of zero or more objects, possibly infinite in size, and disregarding any order or repetition of the objects which may be contained within it.
Set
Set theory.
Set
A group of people, usually meeting socially.
The country set
Set
The scenery for a film or play.
Set
The general locations and area where a movie’s, a film’s, or a video’s scenery is arranged to be filmed also including places for actors, assorted crew, director, producers which are typically not filmed.
Set
(dance) The initial or basic formation of dancers.
Set
(exercise) A group of repetitions of a single exercise performed one after the other without rest.
Set
(tennis) A complete series of games, forming part of a match.
Set
(volleyball) A complete series of points, forming part of a match.
Set
(volleyball) The act of directing the ball to a teammate for an attack.
Set
(music) A musical performance by a band, disc jockey, etc., consisting of several musical pieces.
Set
(music) A drum kit, a drum set.
He plays the set on Saturdays.
Set
A class group in a subject where pupils are divided by ability.
Set
Three of a kind, especially if two cards are in one's hand and the third is on the board. Compare three of a kind, especially with two cards on the board and one in one's hand.
Set
Fixed in position.
Set
Rigid, solidified.
Set
Ready, prepared.
On your marks, get set, go!;
On your marks, set, go!
Set
Intent, determined (to do something).
Set on getting to his destination
Set
Prearranged.
A t=a meal that is instituted by a [[restaurateur for a limited occasion
Set
Fixed in one’s opinion.
I’m set against the idea of smacking children to punish them.
Set
(of hair) Fixed in a certain style.
Set
To cause to sit; to make to assume a specified position or attitude; to give site or place to; to place; to put; to fix; as, to set a house on a stone foundation; to set a book on a shelf; to set a dish on a table; to set a chest or trunk on its bottom or on end.
I do set my bow in the cloud.
Set
Hence, to attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place.
Set your affection on things above.
The Lord set a mark upon Cain.
Set
To make to assume specified place, condition, or occupation; to put in a certain condition or state (described by the accompanying words); to cause to be.
The Lord thy God will set thee on high.
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother.
Every incident sets him thinking.
Set
To fix firmly; to make fast, permanent, or stable; to render motionless; to give an unchanging place, form, or condition to.
Set
To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot; hence, to occasion difficulty to; to embarrass; as, to set a coach in the mud.
They show how hard they are set in this particular.
Set
To put into a desired position or condition; to adjust; to regulate; to adapt.
Set
To fix beforehand; to determine; hence, to make unyielding or obstinate; to render stiff, unpliant, or rigid; as, to set one's countenance.
His eyes were set by reason of his age.
On these three objects his heart was set.
Make my heart as a millstone, set my face as a flint.
Set
To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare; as, to set (that is, to hone) a razor; to set a saw.
Tables for to sette, and beddes make.
Set
To stake at play; to wager; to risk.
I have set my life upon a cast,And I will stand the hazard of the die.
Set
To fix in the ground, as a post or a tree; to plant; as, to set pear trees in an orchard.
Set
To extend and bring into position; to spread; as, to set the sails of a ship.
Set
To fit with music; to adapt, as words to notes; to prepare for singing.
Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
Set
To fix, as a precious stone, in a border of metal; to place in a setting; hence, to place in or amid something which serves as a setting; as, to set glass in a sash.
And him too rich a jewel to be setIn vulgar metal for a vulgar use.
Set
To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote; as, to set a psalm.
Set
To determine; to appoint; to assign; to fix; as, to set a time for a meeting; to set a price on a horse.
Set
To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle; as, to set milk for cheese.
Set
To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state; to replace; as, to set a broken bone.
Set
To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there.
High on their heads, with jewels richly set,Each lady wore a radiant coronet.
Pastoral dales thin set with modern farms.
Set
To make to agree with some standard; as, to set a watch or a clock.
Set
To value; to rate; - with at.
Be you contented, wearing now the garland,To have a son set your decrees at naught.
I do not set my life at a pin's fee.
Set
To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure.
Set
To point out the seat or position of, as birds, or other game; - said of hunting dogs.
Set
To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign; as, to set an example; to set lessons to be learned.
Set
To suit; to become; as, it sets him ill.
Set
To compose; to arrange in words, lines, etc.; as, to set type; to set a page.
Setting aside all other considerations, I will endeavor to know the truth, and yield to that.
Some rules were to be set down for the government of the army.
This law we may name eternal, being that order which God . . . hath set down with himself, for himself to do all things by.
The Venetian admiral had a fleet of sixty galleys, set forth by the Venetians.
If you please to assist and set me in, I will recollect myself.
They . . . set off the worst faces with the best airs.
An ugly woman, in rich habit set out with jewels, nothing can become.
The Venetians pretend they could set out, in case of great necessity, thirty men-of-war.
I could set out that best side of Luther.
I'll set up such a note as she shall hear.
Set
To pass below the horizon; to go down; to decline; to sink out of sight; to come to an end.
Ere the weary sun set in the west.
Thus this century sets with little mirth, and the next is likely to arise with more mourning.
Set
To fit music to words.
Set
To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant.
Set
To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form; as, cuttings set well; the fruit has set well (i. e., not blasted in the blossom).
Set
To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened.
A gathering and serring of the spirits together to resist, maketh the teeth to set hard one against another.
Set
To congeal; to concrete; to solidify; - of cements, glues, gels, concrete, substances polymerizing into plastics, etc.
That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set.
Set
To have a certain direction in motion; to flow; to move on; to tend; as, the current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.
Set
To begin to move; to go out or forth; to start; - now followed by out.
The king is set from London.
Set
To indicate the position of game; - said of a dog; as, the dog sets well; also, to hunt game by the aid of a setter.
Set
To apply one's self; to undertake earnestly; - now followed by out.
If he sets industriously and sincerely to perform the commands of Christ, he can have no ground of doubting but it shall prove successful to him.
Set
To fit or suit one; to sit; as, the coat sets well.
He that would seriously set upon the search of truth.
Cassio hath here been set on in the dark.
Those men who set up for mortality without regard to religion, are generally but virtuous in part.
Set
Fixed in position; immovable; rigid; as, a set line; a set countenance.
Set
Firm; unchanging; obstinate; as, set opinions or prejudices.
Set
Regular; uniform; formal; as, a set discourse; a set battle.
Set
Established; prescribed; as, set forms of prayer.
Set
Adjusted; arranged; formed; adapted.
Set
The act of setting, as of the sun or other heavenly body; descent; hence, the close; termination.
The weary sun hath made a golden set.
Set
That which is set, placed, or fixed.
We will in France, by God's grace, play a setShall strike his father's crown into the hazard.
That was but civil war, an equal set.
Set
Permanent change of figure in consequence of excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.; as, the set of a spring.
Set
A number of things of the same kind, ordinarily used or classed together; a collection of articles which naturally complement each other, and usually go together; an assortment; a suit; as, a set of chairs, of china, of surgical or mathematical instruments, of books, etc.
Set
A kind of punch used for bending, indenting, or giving shape to, metal; as, a saw set.
Set
A number of persons associated by custom, office, common opinion, quality, or the like; a division; a group; a clique.
This falls into different divisions, or sets, of nations connected under particular religions.
Set
A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot be reached by the weight, or hammer, except by means of such an intervening piece.
Set
Direction or course; as, the set of the wind, or of a current.
Set
A short steel spike used for driving the head of a nail below the surface. Called also nail set.
Set
In dancing, the number of persons necessary to execute a quadrille; also, the series of figures or movements executed.
Set
The deflection of a tooth, or of the teeth, of a saw, which causes the the saw to cut a kerf, or make an opening, wider than the blade.
Set
A young oyster when first attached.
Set
A series of as many games as may be necessary to enable one side to win six. If at the end of the tenth game the score is a tie, the set is usually called a deuce set, and decided by an application of the rules for playing off deuce in a game. See Deuce.
Set
That dimension of the body of a type called by printers the width.
Set
Any of various standards of measurement of the fineness of cloth; specif., the number of reeds in one inch and the number of threads in each reed. The exact meaning varies according to the location where it is used. Sometimes written sett.
Set
A stone, commonly of granite, shaped like a short brick and usually somewhat larger than one, used for street paving. Commonly written sett.
Set
Camber of a curved roofing tile.
Set
The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit; as, the set of a coat.
Set
Any collection or group of objects considered together.
Set
An evil beast-headed god with high square ears and a long snout; his was the brother and murderer of Osiris. Called also Seth
Set
A group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used;
A set of books
A set of golf clubs
A set of teeth
Set
(mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols;
The set of prime numbers is infinite
Set
Several exercises intended to be done in series;
He did four sets of the incline bench press
Set
Representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production;
The sets were meticulously authentic
Set
An unofficial association of people or groups;
The smart set goes there
They were an angry lot
Set
A relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way;
The set of his mind was obvious
Set
The act of putting something in position;
He gave a final set to his hat
Set
A unit of play in tennis or squash;
They played two sets of tennis after dinner
Set
The process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization;
The hardening of concrete
He tested the set of the glue
Set
Evil beast-headed Egyptian god with high square ears and a long snout; brother and murderer of Osiris
Set
The descent of a heavenly body below the horizon;
Before the set of sun
Set
(psychology) a temporary readiness to respond in a particular way;
The subjects' set led them to solve problems the familiar way and to overlook the simpler solution
His instructions deliberately gave them the wrong set
Set
Any electronic equipment that receives or transmits radio or tv signals;
The early sets ran on storage batteries
Set
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Set
Fix conclusively or authoritatively;
Set the rules
Set
Decide upon or fix definitely;
Fix the variables
Specify the parameters
Set
Establish as the highest level or best performance;
Set a record
Set
Put into a certain state; cause to be in a certain state;
Set the house afire
Set
Fix in a border;
The goldsmith set the diamond
Set
Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc;
Get the children ready for school!
Prepare for war
I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill
Set
Set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly;
Set clocks or instruments
Set
Locate;
The film is set in Africa
Set
Disappear beyond the horizon;
The sun sets early these days
Set
Adapt for performance in a different way;
Set this poem to music
Set
Put or set (seeds or seedlings) into the ground;
Let's plant flowers in the garden
Set
Apply or start;
Set fire to a building
Set
Become gelatinous;
The liquid jelled after we added the enzyme
Set
Put into a position that will restore a normal state;
Set a broken bone
Set
Insert (a nail or screw below the surface, as into a countersink)
Set
Give a fine, sharp edge to a knife or razor
Set
Urge a dog to attack someone
Set
Estimate;
We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Set
Equip with sails, masts, etc.;
Rig a ship
Set
Get ready for a particular purpose or event;
Set up an experiment
Set the table
Lay out the tools for the surgery
Set
Alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard;
Adjust the clock, please
Correct the alignment of the front wheels
Set
Bear fruit;
The apple trees fructify
Set
Arrange attractively;
Dress my hair for the wedding
Set
(usually followed by `to' or `for') on the point of or strongly disposed;
In no fit state to continue
Fit to drop
Laughing fit to burst
She was fit to scream
Primed for a fight
We are set to go at any time
Set
Fixed and unmoving;
With eyes set in a fixed glassy stare
His bearded face already has a set hollow look
A face rigid with pain
Set
Situated in a particular spot or position;
Valuable centrally located urban land
Strategically placed artillery
A house set on a hilltop
Nicely situated on a quiet riverbank
Set
Set down according to a plan:
A carefully laid table with places set for four people
Stones laid in a pattern
Set
Being below the horizon;
The moon is set
Set
Determined or decided upon as by an authority;
Date and place are already determined
The dictated terms of surrender
The time set for the launching
Set
Converted to solid form (as concrete)
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to sit?
To sit means to rest in a seated position, lowering oneself onto a chair or another surface.
Can 'sit' ever require an object?
'Sit' does not require a direct object; it is used to describe someone seating themselves.
How is 'set' used differently from 'sit'?
'Set' is used to place or arrange something, requiring an object, unlike 'sit' which is about taking a seat.
Are there idiomatic uses for 'sit' and 'set'?
Yes, 'sit tight' means to wait patiently, and 'set the record straight' means to correct a misunderstanding.
How do the tenses of 'sit' and 'set' differ?
'Sit' changes in past tense to 'sat', whereas 'set' remains the same in all tenses.
How does context affect the use of 'sit' and 'set'?
The context can define whether 'sit' refers to resting or a formal meeting, and 'set' might mean placing or preparing.
What are common situations where 'set' is used?
'Set' is commonly used in contexts of placing objects, fixing times, or preparing settings.
Is there a difference in the complexity of actions between 'sit' and 'set'?
'Sit' involves a simpler action of seating oneself, while 'set' can involve a range of complex actions from placing to adjusting objects.
What should I consider when choosing between 'sit' and 'set'?
Consider whether the action involves a person seating themselves or an object being placed or arranged.
Can 'set' imply permanence?
Yes, 'set' can imply a more permanent or fixed arrangement, unlike 'sit' which can be temporary.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
