Synonyms

can't stand

Idioms

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.

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.

“No. He’s the meticulous sort. Can’t stand disarray.”

From Literature

A common summertime complaint usually goes something like this: “It’s not the heat; it’s the humidity that I can’t stand.”

From Barron's

I can’t stand how she treats me like I’m three.

From Literature

I can’t stand this phrase: “Your call is very important to us.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Appeared in the January 23, 2026, print edition as 'American Studies Can’t Stand Its Subject'.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023