stand

verb

Save Word

\ 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

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for stand

Synonyms: Verb

be,
bear,
lie,
sit

Synonyms: Noun

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 The Biden State Department said that designation would stand. — Jerry Dunleavy, Washington Examiner, "GOP urges Biden to resubmit rule imposing transparency on Confucius Institutes," 17 Feb. 2021 Raghav still cannot hold up his head, sit, stand, talk, chew, or swallow. — Sanath Kumar Ramesh, Max G. Bronstein, STAT, "Ultra-rare but not forgotten: New drug development paradigms to treat the rarest of diseases," 17 Feb. 2021 The rest of the ladytestants make Heather stand before them and answer for her crimes. — Ali Barthwell, Vulture, "We Need to Talk About The Bachelor," 16 Feb. 2021 Last spring, the virus tore through meatpacking plants, where workers stand shoulder-to-shoulder on production lines, and as a result the UFCW believes members will be eager for vaccines. — Josh Funk, Star Tribune, "Union says meatpacking workers should be vaccinated sooner," 13 Feb. 2021 That leaves some of its older members out of luck while seniors with other providers stand a better chance of getting a shot, a dynamic highlighting inconsistencies in the state’s distribution of limited resources. — Mallory Moench, San Francisco Chronicle, "Why does California's health care giant Kaiser lag in getting vaccines to seniors?," 13 Feb. 2021 Brush’s rotation features four players who stand 6-foot or taller, and the Comets were unable to keep them off the boards. — cleveland, "Brush has to work hard to ease past Solon, 70-61, in first-round Div. I girls basketball," 13 Feb. 2021 Vendors would be constructing their stalls, covering tables with water and snacks for masqueraders, and stages with booming sound systems would stand waiting. — Car Drakes, Condé Nast Traveler, "Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Musicians on a Year Without Carnival," 11 Feb. 2021 The proprietors stand like statues under their white tents: mute, listless characters in a mise en scène. — Jhumpa Lahiri, The New Yorker, "Casting Shadows," 8 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Upgrade your set-up by snagging our favorite laptop stand, the Rain Design mStand, once $49.90 and now $39.90 for a 20% price drop. — Melissa Lee, USA TODAY, "The 5 best Amazon deals you can get this Wednesday," 18 Feb. 2021 Everyone knows the story of Rosa Parks and her brave stand — or, sit — on that Alabama bus. — Nancy Clanton, ajc, "7 interesting Black History facts you likely didn’t know," 12 Feb. 2021 Her stand against evil was one of faith, a fitting coda for this character. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, "The Stand Finale Recap: Be True," 11 Feb. 2021 Sean knows immediately that Kate actually wrote it, but Tully’s speech impresses Johnny, who’s pining over Tully after their one-night-stand. — Rachel Paige, refinery29.com, "R29 Recaps: Every Episode From Firefly Lane Season 1," 8 Feb. 2021 When Russell moved her TV into her bedroom, Gladstone fashioned its stand into an arts-and-crafts table. — Bridget Read, Curbed, "The Nightmare Share," 2 Feb. 2021 His stand over the summer during the George Floyd protests revealed a man who’s fully morphed from taking things seriously to doing things seriously. — Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, "Mitch Albom: Matthew Stafford leaving Detroit Lions was inevitable, but still depressing," 24 Jan. 2021 The Trojans’ star freshman would return to the floor just as the Cougars (9-4, 2-4 Pac-12) began mounting a 14-3 run that would be their final stand. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "Tahj Eaddy takes control for USC in its win over Washington State," 16 Jan. 2021 While the meeting is typically a formality and perfunctory, Mr. Trump is using the joint session to make his last stand and looking to Congress to overturn the results of the election. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, "More GOP senators say they won't join effort to object to electoral votes," 5 Jan. 2021

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about stand

Dictionary Entries near stand

Statistics for stand

Last Updated

22 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Stand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster

Keep scrolling for more

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

stand

noun

Legal Definition of stand (Entry 2 of 2)