grandstand
Americannoun
-
the main seating area of a stadium, racetrack, parade route, or the like, usually consisting of tiers with rows of individual seats.
-
the people sitting in these seats.
verb (used without object)
adjective
-
situated in a grandstand.
grandstand seats.
-
having a vantage point resembling that of a grandstand.
From our office windows on the third floor, we had a grandstand view of the parade.
-
intended to impress an onlooker or onlookers.
a grandstand catch.
noun
-
-
a terraced block of seats, usually under a roof, commanding the best view at racecourses, football pitches, etc
-
( as modifier )
grandstand tickets
-
-
the spectators in a grandstand
-
(modifier) as if from a grandstand; unimpeded (esp in the phrase grandstand view )
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
grandstandsimple
-
grandstandssimple
-
have grandstandedperfect
-
has grandstandedperfect
-
am grandstandingprogressive
-
are grandstandingprogressive
-
is grandstandingprogressive
-
have been grandstandingperfect progressive
-
has been grandstandingperfect progressive
Past
-
grandstandedsimple
-
had grandstandedperfect
-
was grandstandingprogressive
-
were grandstandingprogressive
-
had been grandstandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grandstand
Explanation
As a noun, grandstand means a large seating area for sports spectators. As a verb, it means to show off. So if you dance around in a banana costume at the horse races, you grandstand in the grandstand. Tiered, covered seating at a racetrack or outdoor sports arena is one kind of grandstand. This word has been used since the mid-18th century, and in the late 1800s it was adapted into the baseball slang phrases grandstand player and grandstand play, which referred to theatrical, unnecessary moves athletes made simply to show off. These terms found their way into college slang around the same time, and grandstand became a common way to say "put on airs."
Vocabulary lists containing grandstand
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Mighty Miss Malone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Displacement
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Former Australia coach and batter Darren Lehmann told ABC Grandstand he hoped Konstas was not "getting caught up in the hype".
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2025
The spokesman added that the tablet on the Grandstand was repaired after the match.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023
She committed 10 unforced errors in the final two sets after having 20 in the first set, played in a stiff wind from the west on the Grandstand court adjacent to the stadium court.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2023
His match on Grandstand, the smallest and most intimate of the three show courts, was a rowdy, standing-room-only affair with the Atlanta native getting the full support of the Washington crowd.
From Washington Times • Aug. 2, 2023
Wednesday's match was only one over old when the protesters entered the field from the Lord's Grandstand.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2023
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.