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.

Phrases

stand up for

: to defend against attack or criticism

He stood up for his friend.

You have to stand up for yourself.

stand up to

1

: to remain in good condition despite

These boots have stood up to a lot of hard wear.

2

: to face boldly

You have to stand up to that bully.

stand up with

: to be best man or maid of honor for at a wedding ceremony

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

The My Life on the D-List star and stand-up comic recently offered a surprising update on her feud with Cohen, after the Watch What Happens Live host responded to a fan question about his relationship with Griffin at BravoCon. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025

Daws started his career as a stand-up comedian before picking up a camera and setting off to Liberia to document the war there. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

Noun

In this post-season glow, performing stand-up across the country, the two cast members were about to conjure two of their most popular characters on the show. —Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2023

Kemp’s infectious smile and, by all accounts, stand-up status as a teammate put him on the list. —James Yasko, Chron, 24 Mar. 2023

Verb

The relatively small spaces are the perfect place to play with paint or tile, which can stand up to splashes and steam better than wallpaper. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 28 Nov. 2025

These days, Japan needs to think about how to stand up for itself. —Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025

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