stand
Americanverb (used without object)
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stands,
present (3rd person singular)
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stood,
past participle, past
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standing
present participle
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(of a person) to be in an upright position on the feet.
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to rise to one's feet (often followed byup ).
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to have a specified height when in this position.
a basketball player who stands six feet seven inches.
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to stop or remain motionless or steady on the feet.
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to take a position or place as indicated.
to stand aside.
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to remain firm or steadfast, as in a cause.
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to take up or maintain a position or attitude with respect to a person, issue, or the like.
to stand as sponsor for a person.
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to have or adopt a certain policy, course, or attitude, as of adherence, support, opposition, or resistance.
He stands for free trade.
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(of things) to be in an upright or vertical position, be set on end, or rest on or as on a support.
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to be set, placed, fixed, located, or situated.
The building stands at 34th Street and 5th Avenue.
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(of an account, score, etc.) to show, be, or remain as indicated; show the specified position of the parties concerned.
The score stood 18 to 14 at the half.
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to remain erect or whole; resist change, decay, or destruction (often followed byup ).
The ruins still stand. The old building stood up well.
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to continue in force or remain valid.
The agreement stands as signed.
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to remain still, stationary, or unused.
The bicycle stood in the basement all winter.
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to be or become stagnant, as water.
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(of persons or things) to be or remain in a specified state, condition, relation, relative position, etc..
He stood in jeopardy of losing his license.
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to have the possibility or likelihood.
He stands to gain a sizable profit through the sale of the house.
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Chiefly British. to become or be a candidate, as for public office (usually followed byfor ).
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Nautical.
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to take or hold a particular course at sea.
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to move in a certain direction.
to stand offshore.
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(of a male domestic animal, especially a stud) to be available as a sire, usually for a fee.
Three Derby winners are now standing in Kentucky.
verb (used with object)
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stands,
present (3rd person singular)
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stood,
past participle, past
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standing
present participle
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to cause to stand; set upright; set.
Stand the chair by the lamp.
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to face or encounter.
to stand an assault.
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to undergo or submit to.
to stand trial.
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to endure or undergo without harm or damage or without giving way.
His eyes are strong enough to stand the glare.
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to endure or tolerate.
She can't stand her father.
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to treat or pay for.
I'll stand you to a drink when the manuscript is in.
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to perform the duty of or participate in as part of one's job or duty.
to stand watch aboard ship.
noun
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stands,
plural, plural
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stand
plural
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the act of standing; an assuming of or a remaining in an upright position.
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a cessation of motion; halt or stop.
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a determined effort for or against something, especially a final defensive effort.
Custer's last stand.
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a determined policy, position, attitude, etc., taken or maintained.
We must take a stand on political issues.
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the place in which a person or thing stands; station.
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a raised platform, as for a speaker, a band, or the like.
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stands, a raised section of seats for spectators; grandstand.
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a framework on or in which articles are placed for support, exhibition, etc..
a hat stand.
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a piece of furniture of various forms, on or in which to put articles (often used in combination).
a nightstand; a washstand.
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a small, light table.
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a stall, booth, counter, or the like, where articles are displayed for sale or where some business is carried on.
a fruit stand.
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The papers usually hit the stands at 5 a.m.
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a site or location for business.
After 20 years the ice-cream vendor was still at the same stand.
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a place or station occupied by vehicles available for hire.
a taxicab stand.
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the vehicles occupying such a place.
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the growing trees, or those of a particular species or grade, in a given area.
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a standing growth, as of grass, wheat, etc.
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a halt of a theatrical company on tour, to give a performance or performances.
a series of one-night stands on the strawhat trail.
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the town at which a touring theatrical company gives a performance.
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hive.
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Metalworking. a rolling unit in a rolling mill.
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Chiefly British. a complete set of arms or accoutrements for one soldier.
verb phrase
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stand out
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to project; protrude.
The piers stand out from the harbor wall.
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to be conspicuous or prominent.
She stands out in a crowd.
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to persist in opposition or resistance; be inflexible.
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Nautical. to maintain a course away from shore.
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stand up
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to come to or remain in a standing position.
to stand up when being introduced.
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to remain strong, convincing, or durable.
The case will never stand up in court. Wool stands up better than silk.
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Slang. to fail to keep an appointment with (someone, especially a sweetheart or date).
I waited for Kim for an hour before I realized I'd been stood up.
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stand for
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to represent; symbolize.
P.S. stands for “postscript.”
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to advocate; favor.
He stands for both freedom and justice.
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Informal. to tolerate; allow.
I won't stand for any nonsense!
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stand on
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to depend on; rest on.
The case stands on his testimony.
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to be particular about; demand.
to stand on ceremony.
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Nautical. to maintain a course and speed.
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stand in with
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to be in association or conspiracy with.
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to enjoy the favor of; be on friendly terms with.
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stand up for
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to defend the cause of; support.
No one could understand why he stood up for an incorrigible criminal.
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to serve a bridegroom or bride, as best man or maid (matron) of honor.
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stand over
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to supervise very closely; watch constantly.
He won't work unless someone stands over him.
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to put aside temporarily; postpone.
to let a project stand over until the following year.
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stand up to to meet or deal with fearlessly; confront.
to stand up to a bully.
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stand down
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Law. to leave the witness stand.
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to step aside; withdraw, as from a competition.
I agreed to stand down so that she could run for the nomination unopposed.
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to leave or take out of active work or service.
to stand down some of the ships in the fleet.
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stand by
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to uphold; support.
She stood by him whenever he was in trouble.
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to adhere to (an agreement, promise, etc.); affirm.
She stood by her decision despite her sister's arguments.
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to stand ready; wait.
Please stand by while I fix this antenna.
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to get ready to speak, act, etc., as at the beginning of a radio or television program.
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to be ready to board a plane, train, or other transport if accommodations become available at the last minute.
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stand off
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to keep or stay at a distance.
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to put off; evade.
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stand to
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to continue to hold; persist in.
to stand to one's statement.
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to keep at steadily.
Stand to your rowing, men!
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to wait in readiness; stand by.
Stand to for action.
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verb
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(also tr) to be or cause to be in an erect or upright position
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to rise to, assume, or maintain an upright position
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(copula) to have a specified height when standing
to stand six feet
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to be situated or located
the house stands in the square
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to be or exist in a specified state or condition
to stand in awe of someone
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to adopt or remain in a resolute position or attitude
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(may take an infinitive) to be in a specified position
I stand to lose money in this venture
he stands high in the president's favour
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to remain in force or continue in effect
whatever the difficulties, my orders stand
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to come to a stop or halt, esp temporarily
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(of water, etc) to collect and remain without flowing
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(often foll by at) (of a score, account, etc) to indicate the specified position of the parties involved
the score stands at 20 to 1
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(also tr; when intr, foll by for) to tolerate or bear
I won't stand for your nonsense any longer
I can't stand spiders
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(tr) to resist; survive
to stand the test of time
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(tr) to submit to
to stand trial
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(often foll by for) to be or become a candidate
will he stand for Parliament?
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to navigate in a specified direction
we were standing for Madeira when the storm broke
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(of a gun dog) to point at game
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to halt, esp to give action, repel attack, or disrupt an enemy advance when retreating
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(of a male domestic animal, esp a stallion) to be available as a stud
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(also tr) printing to keep (type that has been set) or (of such type) to be kept, for possible use in future printings
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informal (tr) to bear the cost of; pay for
to stand someone a drink
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to have a hope or likelihood of winning, succeeding, etc
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to maintain one's position firmly
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to maintain a stance or position in the face of opposition
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to remain motionless
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(foll by for) to tolerate
I won't stand still for your threats
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informal to be useful to someone
your knowledge of English will stand to you
noun
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the act or an instance of standing
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an opinion, esp a resolutely held one
he took a stand on capital punishment
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a halt or standstill
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a place where a person or thing stands
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a position on the floor of a shearing shed allocated to one shearer
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the shearing equipment belonging to such a position
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a structure, usually of wood, on which people can sit or stand
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a frame or rack on which such articles as coats and hats may be hung
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a small table or piece of furniture where articles may be placed or stored
a music stand
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a supporting framework, esp for a tool or instrument
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a stall, booth, or counter from which goods may be sold
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an exhibition area in a trade fair
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a halt to give action, etc, esp one taken during a retreat and having some duration or some success
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cricket an extended period at the wicket by two batsmen
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a growth of plants in a particular area, esp trees in a forest or a crop in a field
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a stop made by a touring theatrical company, pop group, etc, to give a performance (esp in the phrase one-night stand )
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a plot or site earmarked for the erection of a building
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(of a gun dog) the act of pointing at game
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a complete set, esp of arms or armour for one man
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military the flags of a regiment
Synonym Usage
See bear 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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standsimple
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standssimple
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have stoodperfect
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has stoodperfect
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am standingprogressive
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are standingprogressive
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is standingprogressive
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have been standingperfect progressive
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has been standingperfect progressive
Past
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stoodsimple
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had stoodperfect
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was standingprogressive
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were standingprogressive
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had been standingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stand
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb stonde(n), stande(n), Old English standan, stondan; cognate with Old Saxon standan, Middle Dutch standen, Old High German stantan, standa, standan; akin to Latin stāre (intransitive) “to stand, stand up, be standing” sistere (transitive) “to make stand, set up, erect,” Greek histánai “to make stand,” Sanskrit sthā “to stand,” Old Irish at-tá “(he) is”
Explanation
To stand is to be upright or vertical, with your feet on the floor, or to move into that position. Most people stand when they hear the national anthem at a baseball game. If you place something in an upright position in a certain spot, you stand it, and objects stand when they're situated in a certain location: "Those beautiful buildings stand at the top of the hill." A support where an object will be placed is also called a stand. When you stand for something, you believe strongly in it, and you can also describe that belief as your stand: "My stand on the school dress code isn't too popular among other students."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Usually a raised stage is erected for the candidates to stand on when the result is announced.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Notably absent from the table is exiled opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, who has said she will not stand in the way of the process.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: The new release from PopSockets is slim and multifunctional, providing extra grip and a stand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Weigh those cons against the things AI has reliably proven it can do – cheat on homework and write janky code – and it’s easy to understand Sanders’ urge to stand and yell “stop!”
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
“How long are they going to stand for it?” we said.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
In the wholesale markets of Yiwu, the Chinese city known for supplying the world with inexpensive goods, buyers can find prayer rugs, Quran stands, modest clothing, Ramadan lanterns and crescent-shaped decorations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Silverstone - with a big crowd in every day - was great this year but other races this season didn't look like they had full stands on the Friday and Saturday.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Los Angeles, which stands out alongside New York as one of the major nightlife players in “Up All Night.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
These benefits are real, but against them stands a crucial problem: Open models can be easily modified for harm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
My sister stands over me, holding a now-empty mug.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
She previously stood as the Green Party's candidate for West Midlands mayor in the 2024 election.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Buse Avci stood in line at a paella counter in Valencia on Wednesday on a visit to the coastal Spanish city from her home in Budapest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said Turkey expected Egypt to join the pact "in the next stage", telling the Anadolu state news agency only "a few technical issues" stood in the way.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
“Beloved Jackie showed us resilience and strength and the beauty of nature and how she stood for what we all want to believe,” said Patricia Hiscox of Long Island, N.Y.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Legendary stood out in yellow, while the rest of the words buzzed in green, all against a black backdrop.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In the seaside resort of Palma de Majorca in the Balearic Islands, tourists, many in swimsuits, some standing in the water, watched the eclipse closely, protective glasses perched on noses.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The plant employs around 1,000 people and is just one of many sprawling industrial complexes standing out starkly from the lush Appalachian Mountain landscape.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Spend enough years standing behind pyramids of hamburgers, posing at fry stations and inserting yourself into the iconography of American restaurant chains, and eventually the props begin to accrue meanings of their own.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Three hours before the U.S. played Paraguay in the World Cup in June, Ricky Zaragoza was standing outside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with his father and no tickets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
They are all standing over me, triumphant and proud.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
