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

But as I was standing up, I heard a man say, “You can’t stand up.”

From Slate • May 19, 2026

"I just can't stand this guy," Trump said at a Kentucky rally with Gallrein in March.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

There will be short, sharp peaks and valleys, but if you can’t stand the rises and falls in altitude, hand over those anxieties to your silent, hardworking virtual self.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Much of the chatter never moves past a relatively small, dishy circle of political gossips because the supposed misdeeds, while titillating, can’t stand up to rigorous scrutiny.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Until I can’t stand it, and I raise my hand.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

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