doormat
doormat Lexical Profile
doormat Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mat placed just inside or outside a doorway, designed for wiping dirt or moisture from the soles of shoes before entering a building.
"Please make sure to wipe your muddy boots on the doormat before stepping onto the living room carpet."
A person who is highly submissive or easily intimidated, allowing others to exploit, manipulate, or dominate them without offering resistance.
"After years of agreeing to every unreasonable demand her boss made, she finally realized she was being treated like a doormat and decided to stand up for herself."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used figuratively to describe a person, 'doormat' carries a mildly derogatory connotation, implying a lack of self-respect or assertiveness.
• Rhymes for doormat
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'door' and 'mat', first recorded in English in the mid-19th century. The figurative sense of a submissive person who lets others 'walk all over them' emerged in the late 19th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.