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

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

If you can’t stand the heat, better get out of the market’s kitchen.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 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

"I don't care. I can't stand the sight of him," said Aravis.

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis

Related Words

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