stand

verb

\ ˈstand

stood\ ˈstu̇d

\; standing

Definition of stand

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to support oneself on the feet in an erect position

b : to be a specified height when fully erect stands six feet two

c : to rise to an erect position

2a : to take up or maintain a specified position or posture stand aside can you stand on your head

b : to maintain one's position stand firm

3 : to be in a particular state or situation stands accused

4 : to hold a course at sea

5 obsolete : hesitate

6a : to have or maintain a relative position in or as if in a graded scale stands first in the class

b : to be in a position to gain or lose because of an action taken or a commitment made stands to make quite a profit

7 chiefly British : to be a candidate : run

8a : to rest or remain upright on a base or lower end a clock stood on the mantle

b : to occupy a place or location the house stands on a knoll

9a : to remain stationary or inactive the car stood in the garage for a week

b : to gather slowly and remain tears standing in her eyes

10 : agree, accord —used chiefly in the expression it stands to reason

11a : to exist in a definite written or printed form copy a passage exactly as it stands

b : to remain valid or efficacious the order given last week still stands

12 of a male animal : to be available as a sire —used especially of horses

13 : to refuse additional cards (as in blackjack)

transitive verb

1a : to endure or undergo successfully this book will stand the test of time

b : to tolerate without flinching : bear courageously stands pain well

c : to endure the presence or personality of can't stand the boss

d : to derive benefit or enjoyment from you look like you could stand a drink

2 : to remain firm in the face of stand a siege

3 : to submit to stand trial

4a : to perform the duty of stand guard

b : to participate in (a military formation)

5 : to pay the cost of (a treat) : pay for I'll stand you a dinner stand drinks

6 : to cause to stand : set upright

7 : to make available for breeding stand a stallion

stand a chance

: to have a chance

stand for

1 : to be a symbol for : represent

2 : to put up with : permit

stand on

1 : to depend on

2 : to insist on never stands on ceremony

stand one's ground

: to maintain one's position

stand on one's own feet

: to think or act independently

stand tall

: to exhibit courage, strength, or calm especially in the face of adversity

stand treat

: to pay the cost of food, drink, or entertainment for others in a group

stand

noun

Definition of stand (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a halt for defense or resistance

b : an often defensive effort of some duration or degree of success a goal-line stand

c(1) : a stop made to give a performance a 6-game stand at home

(2) : a town where such a stop is made

2 : an act of stopping or staying in one place

3a : a place or post where one stands

b : a strongly or aggressively held position especially on a debatable issue took a stand against higher taxes

4a : the place taken by a witness for testifying in court

b stands plural

(1) : a section of the tiered seats for spectators of a sport or spectacle

(2) : the occupants of such seats

c : a raised platform (as for a speaker or hunter) serving as a point of vantage

5a : a small often open-air structure for a small retail business a vegetable stand a hot dog stand

b : a site fit for business opportunity

6 : a place where a passenger vehicle stops or parks a taxi stand

7 : hive sense 2

8 : a frame on or in which something may be placed for support

9 : a group of plants growing in a continuous area

10 : a standing posture

Other Words from stand Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about stand

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Synonyms for stand

Synonyms: Verb

be, bear, lie, sit

Synonyms: Noun

dais, platform, podium, rostrum, stage, tribune

Choose the Right Synonym for stand

Verb

bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful. bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking. forced to bear a tragic loss suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing. suffering many insults endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties. endured years of rejection abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest. cannot abide their rudeness tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful. refused to tolerate such treatment stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching. unable to stand teasing

Examples of stand in a Sentence

Verb

She was standing near the window. He was standing next to me. All of the seats on the bus were taken so we had to stand. He can stand using a cane. He was standing in a puddle of water. The deer stood still, listening for danger. We had to stand in line for over an hour. Two bowling pins were left standing. A shovel and rake stood in the corner. She stood the ladder against the house.

Noun

The team insured their victory with an impressive goal-line stand. The army is preparing to make a stand against the enemy. students making a stand against the war We have display stands in many bookstores.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Players from both teams exited the dugouts and stood on the field to stare at the giant video screen above right field. — Hunter Atkins, Houston Chronicle, "Astros earn walkoff win over Orioles in 11 innings," 8 June 2019 Not just because of me, but my whole cast, that generation stands on your shoulders. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Chadwick Boseman calls Denzel Washington the 'G.O.A.T' and other highlights from his AFI Life Achievement tribute," 7 June 2019 Rebecca Lindland, an industry expert who writes at rebeccadrives.com, said FCA can stand on its own because of Jeep, which is worth more than all its other brands combined. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "What happened to FCA/Renault and what's next for FCA?," 7 June 2019 A month ago StreetLights unveiled plans for a workmanlike apartment tower that would stand on the corner of Oak Lawn and Lemmon avenues. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "Oak Lawn tower plan pays homage to Dallas' long-lost Esquire Theater," 6 June 2019 The site also has strong connections to Christianity; it was believed that archangel Michael stood on the western side of the Mount to warn fishermen away from its perilous, rocky shores. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Calling All Green Thumbs! A Legendary British Island Is Looking to Hire a Resident Gardener," 5 June 2019 Parker is in the middle of a memory, standing on an asphalt path at Pointe du Hoc, when he is interrupted. — Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, "From the archives: A D-Day veteran returns to Normandy," 5 June 2019 Fostoria was an herbivore that stood on its hind legs and belonged to the same group of dinosaurs as iguanodons. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Dinosaur bones shimmering with opal reveal a new species," 4 June 2019 By The man who was and then wasn’t and now is the Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach stood outside the practice field on a sunny afternoon last week, impassive and rather expressionless in his first meeting with local media. — Sam Mcdowell, kansascity, "Chiefs’ new assistant coach brings ‘fiery, energetic’ style to revamped defense," 4 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

More cosmologies unfold across the floor, where porcelain cheetahs from her grandmother’s collection stand watch over Halsey’s foil-and-foam-core sculptural panels that echo the set designs from P-Funk concerts. — Michael Slenske, latimes.com, "Lauren Halsey brings the funk to the L.A. art scene," 10 June 2019 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 9, 2018 in London, England. — Rachel E. Greenspan, Time, "Meghan Markle's First Major Post-Baby Outing at Trooping the Colour 2019 Looked Like a Lot of Fun," 8 June 2019 On Friday night, those same stands swelled with younger voices than usual and none of the pyrotechnics. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "France Kicks Off Women’s World Cup With 4-0 Victory Over South Korea," 8 June 2019 Framed by hip-hop throw downs and graffiti art, this is Latinx history and culture seen through the post-modern prism of potty-mouthed stand-up comedy. — Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, "Review: Outrageous ‘Kiss My Aztec!’ premieres at Berkeley Rep," 8 June 2019 And nothing, not even a fan crawling over the top of Fangio on the way to the concession stand, could interrupt his gaze as Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets ran down the court. — Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, "Kiszla: How the Fangio Stare, soon to be famous in Broncos Country, is redefining Denver’s defense," 8 June 2019 In the next 10 years, continued growth stands to propel them to new heights as an important player in the region and in the tech industry. — Jessica Levy, Cincinnati.com, "For local employment opportunities, top tech professionals choose LCS," 7 June 2019 Frustrated the guy so much that the generally stoic Federer smacked a tennis ball toward the stands after getting broken to trail 2-1 in the third set. — Howard Fendrich, chicagotribune.com, "Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer in 3 sets to advance to his 12th French Open final," 7 June 2019 My boys—age seven and eight—stand at the chain-link fence watching a forklift move the barrier back into place. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Lug Nuts, Fried Bologna, and the Loudest Thrill in Sports," 7 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stand.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about stand

Dictionary Entries near stand

Statistics for stand

Last Updated

12 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for stand

The first known use of stand was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for stand

stand

verb

English Language Learners Definition of stand

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to be in an upright position with all of your weight on your feet

: to move onto your feet from a sitting or low position

: to be in an upright position

stand

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stand (Entry 2 of 2)

: a strongly held opinion about something

: a strong effort to defend yourself or oppose something

: a partially enclosed structure where things are sold or displayed

See the full definition for stand in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stand

verb

\ ˈstand

stood\ ˈstu̇d \; standing

Kids Definition of stand

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to be in or take an upright position on the feet Stand for the pledge.

2 : to take up or stay in a specified position or condition Stand aside. The judges stood firm.

3 : to rest, remain, or set in a usually vertical position A clock stands on the shelf.

4 : to be in a specified place Their house stands on the hill.

5 : to put up with : endure He can't stand pain.

6 : to have an opinion How do you stand on the issue?

7 : to stay in effect The order still stands.

8 : undergo stand trial

9 : to perform the duty of stand guard

stand by

1 : to be or remain loyal or true to I stand by my promise. He stood by a friend.

2 : to be present We stood by and watched the fight.

3 : to be or get ready to act I'll stand by to help.

stand for

1 : to be a symbol for : represent What does your middle initial stand for?

2 : to put up with : permit His teacher won't stand for any nonsense.

stand out

: to be easily seen or recognized Two members of the bodyguard did stand out from the others.— Judith Berry Griffin, Phoebe the Spy

stand up

1 : to stay in good condition This type of watch stands up well under hard use.

2 : to fail to keep an appointment with You stood me up yesterday.

stand up for

: defend sense 2

stand up to

: to face boldly

stand

noun

Kids Definition of stand (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a structure containing rows of seats for spectators of a sport or spectacle

2 : a stall or booth often outdoors for a small business a fruit stand

3 : position entry 1 sense 2 They took a strong stand on the question.

4 : a group of plants growing near one another a stand of pine trees

5 : an act of stopping or staying in one place

6 : a halt for defense or resistance Villagers made a stand against the enemy.

7 : a place or post which a person occupies : station The witness took the stand.

8 : a small structure (as a rack or table) on or in which something may be placed an umbrella stand

9 : a raised area (as for speakers or performers)

stand

verb

stood; standing

Legal Definition of stand

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to be in a particular state or situation stand accused

2 : to remain valid or effective let the ruling stand

transitive verb

: to submit to stand trial

stand in judgment

: to submit to the judgment of the court

stand in the shoes of

: to assume the rights or obligations of

stand mute

: to be effectively silent: as

a : to exercise the privilege against self-incrimination (as in a trial)

b : to raise no objections the prosecution agreed to stand mute at the sentencing

stand on

: to depend on especially as the basis of an argument or claim a party who stands on the writing as a complete and exclusive embodiment of the contract— J. J. White and R. S. Summers