stand-up

1 of 3

adjective

ˈstand-ˌəp 

1

a

: erect, upright

b

: stiffened to stay upright without folding over

a stand-up collar

2

sometimes standup : performed in, performing in, or requiring a standing position

a stand-up bar

especially : of, relating to, performing, or being a monologue of jokes, gags, or satirical comments delivered usually while standing alone on a stage or in front of a camera

stand-up comedy

a stand-up comedian

3

: marked by a high degree of personal integrity or loyalty

a stand-up guy

stand-up

2 of 3

noun

variants or less commonly standup

1

: stand-up comedy

also : a performer of such comedy

2

: a television broadcast in which the reporter or narrator faces the camera with the scene of the story in the background

stand up

3 of 3

verb

stood up; standing up; stands up

intransitive verb

1

: to rise to a standing position

2

: to remain sound and intact under stress, attack, or close scrutiny

need evidence that will stand up in court

transitive verb

informal

: to fail to keep an appointment with

Where were you yesterday? You stood me up.

see also:

stand up for stand up to stand up with

Synonyms of stand-up

Adjective

• honorable
• honest
• ethical
• decent
• upright
• respectable
• principled
• noble

Verb

• fly
• work
• hold up

Examples of stand-up in a Sentence

Adjective

a real stand-up guy, he's willing to raise the child—by himself if necessary

a puppy with stand-up ears

Verb

a hypothesis that won't stand up to close analysis

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Come nighttime, groups can take their pick of seemingly endless entertainment options, including Broadway-caliber productions, deck parties, stand-up comedy, and (so much) more. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026

Gervais, who chose not to show up tonight, has drawn backlash in the past for transphobic jokes in his stand-up routines. —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026

Noun

Comedian Chris Tucker added some levity to the solemn services with a stand-up set. —Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

Hughes is a stand-up example of one who did. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026

Verb

People stand up and talk about having been changed by the show over the years. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026

Not even rising star Ashley Padilla could stand up to this level of torture. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for stand-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

stand up

verb

1

: to rise to a standing position

2

: to remain in good condition

stands up to repeated washings

3

: to fail to keep an appointment with