STAND Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'stand' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of stand are abide , bear , endure , suffer , and tolerate . While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching. // unable to stand teasing

Q: When is 'abide' a more appropriate choice than 'stand'?

Although the words abide and stand have much in common, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest. // cannot abide their rudeness

Q: When can 'bear' be used instead of 'stand'?

The synonyms bear and stand are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking. // forced to bear a tragic loss

Q: In what contexts can 'endure' take the place of 'stand'?

While the synonyms endure and stand are close in meaning, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties. // endured years of rejection

Q: When could 'suffer' be used to replace 'stand'?

The meanings of suffer and stand largely overlap; however, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing. // suffering many insults

Q: When might 'tolerate' be a better fit than 'stand'?

In some situations, the words tolerate and stand are roughly equivalent. However, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful. // refused to tolerate such treatment

stand 1 of 2

verb

ˈstand

Definition of stand

as in to sit

to occupy a place or location the monument stands in the middle of the town plaza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to tolerate

to put up with (something painful or difficult) I don't know how you can stand that job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to pay

to give what is owed for I'll stand lunch, and you can pay me back later

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

repudiate

as in to be

to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes if the city's baseball team wins today, they will stand first in the league

Synonyms & Similar Words

stand

2 of 2

noun

as in podium

a level usually raised surface marchers passed by the reviewing stand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb stand differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of stand are abide, bear, endure, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When is abide a more appropriate choice than stand?

Although the words abide and stand have much in common, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When can bear be used instead of stand?

The synonyms bear and stand are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

In what contexts can endure take the place of stand?

While the synonyms endure and stand are close in meaning, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

When could suffer be used to replace stand?

The meanings of suffer and stand largely overlap; however, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When might tolerate be a better fit than stand?

In some situations, the words tolerate and stand are roughly equivalent. However, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stand

Verb

Sumana Shrestha stood with family members holding a poster with the photo of her 55-year-old husband, who has not been heard from since the day of the flood. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 Dump standing water from containers around the home, and check yards regularly. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Noun

There are ladies in opera coats and tiaras, as well as the likes of Michelle Obama—in a sculptural Diotima gown—and Tom Ford designer Haider Ackermann, wearing a tee from the merch stand. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026 However, once in a tree stand elevated at least 10 feet off the ground, bowhunters may remove fluorescent orange clothing, according to DEEP officials. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stand

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand

Verb

The audience is therefore not just a number sitting underneath a creator’s profile, but part of the influence itself.

— Sergi Cerrato, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
His platform has also been used to promote fear and misinformation, even to fuel violence that could destabilize sitting governments.

— Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of sit

Verb

If tolerated, players can also attend team meetings and film study.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of tolerate

Verb

Singapore pays its political leaders high salaries to attract talent and deter graft, but the issue is thorny in the city-state, where the median wage worker made S$5,775 ($736) a month in 2025.

— Reuters, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
On the field, the Mets are obviously not paying this much attention.

— Tim Britton, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of pay

Verb

There was a lineup of celebrities and stars who graced these halls, with a guest ledger that features Clark Gable and Bette Davis.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Sep. 2026
School officials pointed out there were 975 tickets sold, and the temperatures were in the high 60s with no rain.

— Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of be

Noun

Competitors had to lift them onto podiums at different heights in the quickest time possible.

— Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
The points are represented by plastic eyeballs dropped into decorative glass urns on their player podiums, styled like museum exhibits — a fun bit of whimsy in the production design that unites the ideas of vision and museum art.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of podium

Verb

Even more horrifying than death was the thought of lying there, trapped beneath the rubble, listening to my two-year-old son desperately crying for help.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Just a few kilometers farther downriver lies the Gran Rosario agro-export hub, a sprawling network of ports and processing plants and one of the world's largest agricultural export centers.

— Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of lie

Verb

Exploring the dialogue between Italy’s artisanal heritage and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the event considers how the handmade endures in an era of rapid innovation.

— Eleonora Giordani, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
That was a disquieting pointer to Federal Reserve Board policy, for the central bank counted controlling inflation, not enduring full employment, as one of its mandates.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of endure

Verb

By combining aluminum’s low weight with a pre-applied coating, the company is targeting a way to make battery components easier to manufacture while meeting durability and insulation requirements.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
Apple describes it as an app for discovering local events, RSVPing and meeting new people.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of meet

Cite this Entry

Style

“Stand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of stand

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

volition

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of stand

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Phrases Containing stand

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

volition

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes