can't stand

Idioms  

1. Also,. Thoroughly dislike; be unable to put up with something or someone. For example, I can't stand the sight of her; she's obnoxious, or I can't bear to leave the country, or I can't stomach a filthy kitchen. The oldest of these synonymous expressions is can't abide, which Shakespeare used in 2 Henry IV (3:2): “She could not abide Master Shallow.” Can't stand dates from the early 1600; can't bear dates from about 1700 and often but not always is used with an infinitive; can't stomach dates from the late 1600s and today is less common than the others.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

can't stand

Some customers have outright walked away because they can’t stand the stench of the rotting food that remains.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

"I really can't stand it when my four leaders are called 'veterans'", he said earlier in the tournament.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

“I think the inability to seek federal habeas relief would also lead to more people simply giving up on viable claims for immigration relief because they can’t stand to be in detention any longer.”

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026

I’ve had women who come up and say, “I can’t stand Natalie, and it doesn’t relate to my understanding of religion at all.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

“I need you, Charlotte. I can’t stand going to the Fair without you. You’ve just got to come.”

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

Related Words

• abhor
• despise
• detest
• loathe
• scorn
• shun