stand-up
adjective
standing erect or upright, as a collar.
stand-up
American
[stand-uhp]
/ ˈstændˌʌp /
Or
standup
adjective
-
standing erect or upright, as a collar.
-
performed, taken, etc., while one stands.
a stand-up meal.
-
designed for or requiring a standing position.
a stand-up lunch counter.
-
(of a fight) characterized by the rapid exchange of many blows with little attention given to defensive maneuvering.
-
(of a person) characterized by an erect or bold stance.
-
Baseball. (of a double or triple) pertaining to a hit that allows the hitter to reach the base safely without having to slide.
-
relating to or noting a performance by a comedian delivering a monologue while alone on the stage.
stand-up comedy;
the best stand-up comics.
-
Slang. loyal and dependable.
He seems to be a real stand-up guy.
noun
-
stand-ups
plural
-
comedy in which a comedian delivers a monologue while alone on the stage.
We bought tickets to see some stand-up at a club downtown.
-
a comedian who delivers such monologues.
I've been a stand-up for about five years.
stand up
British
verb
-
(intr) to rise to the feet
-
(intr) to resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc
-
informal (tr) to fail to keep an appointment with, esp intentionally
-
-
to support, side with, or defend
-
to serve as best man for (the groom) at a wedding
-
-
-
to confront or resist courageously
-
to withstand or endure (wear, criticism, etc)
-
adjective
-
having or being in an erect position
a stand-up collar
-
done, performed, taken, etc, while standing
a stand-up meal
-
(of comedy or a comedian) performed or performing solo
-
informal (of a boxer) having an aggressive style without much leg movement
a stand-up fighter
noun
-
a stand-up comedian
-
stand-up comedy
stand up
Idioms
-
Remain valid, sound, or durable, as in His claim will not stand up in court , or Our old car stood up well over time . [Mid-1900s]
-
Fail to keep a date or appointment with, as in Al stood her up twice in the past week, and that will be the end of their relationship . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900] Also see stand up for ; stand up to ; stand up with .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stand-up
First recorded in 1580–90; adjective and noun use of verb phrase stand up
Vocabulary lists containing stand-up
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:
Even the news that ComicView, the iconic BET stand-up series, was getting a new reboot barely made waves online.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Many recent stand-up acts might be critically acclaimed, but too few of them seem to garner the level of public praise as others do ire from fans.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
But Chawawa has since branched out from social media - making two Bafta-nominated TV documentaries, starring on Taskmaster and doing stand-up comedy.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
I was caught between two worlds, working on my stand-up as kind of my nighttime job, and then doing these podcasts and contributing wherever I could as a daytime job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
A six-foot-tall man and a ten-pound monkey are pretty evenly matched in a stand-up fight.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
“The message I am going to bring, of course, is that we are going to stand up for our workers,” he told reporters before the meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
It’s the sort of line that doesn’t stand up to an unkind reading.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
If the supposedly easygoing Canadians can stand up to their pugnacious – and powerful - neighbour, others may decide they can, too.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
He added: “And so to be able to stand up and say ‘Hey, it is not incompatible to be a Jewish leader and a progressive leader’ is something that clearly voters agreed with and embraced.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Just like brand-new. Now stand up, and let’s see if these things will fit.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
In 1979, stand-ups working at the Comedy Store started getting antsy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
“Our customers aren’t actually all in the office anymore, and so they don’t necessarily want us in the office with them, but we do daily stand-ups with them.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
And these are stand-ups I love, and they’re not that great.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
But these days stand-ups release a lot more product than they used to and in more places, from satellite radio to TikTok.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
Arenas, like the ones Kay performs in, bring in more people but they can also bring problems for stand-ups, he says.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2025
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.
