postman
gb/pˈoʊstmən/ us/pˈoʊstmən/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
role
1
person who delivers mail
A person who brings letters and parcels to you.
Usage pattern:
the postman; a postman; [someone] is a postman
Common mistake:
In modern English, postman can refer to any gender, but some speakers prefer gender-neutral terms like mail carrier or postal worker.
Synonyms
mail carrier (More common in North American English and gender-neutral.)
|
postal worker (Broader term; can include people who sort mail, not only deliver it.)
|
mailman (Common in North American English; more clearly male-coded.)
Antonyms
recipient (The person who receives the mail rather than delivering it.)
Collocations
the postman
|a postman
|local postman
|postman route
|postman uniform
|postman bag
|postman delivers
|postman came
|postman knocked
|wait for the postman
Themes
daily_life
|work
|communication
|transport
Examples
- The postman usually comes around 11 a.m.
- I asked the postman if there was any mail for apartment 3B.
- Our postman left the parcel with a neighbor.
Learner examples
- The postman brought a letter.
- I saw the postman this morning.
Grammar
Dictionary form
postman
IPA
GB/pˈoʊstmən/
US/pˈoʊstmən/
Syllables & stress
post - man (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (post)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: postman
- Plural: postmen
Word family
Expressions
postman's holiday
1/pˈɔstmənz hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
idiom
informal
doing your job on holiday
A holiday where you still do your usual work.
Examples
- Going to a marketing conference on my vacation felt like a postman's holiday.
- He’s a chef, so cooking every night on the trip was a bit of a postman’s holiday.
postman's knock
1/pˈɔstmənz nˈɑk/
fixed phrase
informal
quick loud knock at door
A quick, loud knock on a door.
Examples
- Someone gave the door a postman’s knock and then walked away.
- I heard a postman’s knock and ran downstairs to answer.
the postman always rings twice
1/ðə pˈoʊstmən ˈɔlwˌeɪz ɹˈɪŋz twˈaɪs/
fixed phrase
literary
someone will try again
Someone will come back or try again.
Examples
- Don’t relax yet—the postman always rings twice.
- He missed me the first time, but the postman always rings twice.