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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

can't stand

“If I can’t stand up here and answer a tough question, then I have no business running the state.”

From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2026

This was a rare appearance for the first lady, who many assume can’t stand her husband.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026

The people who know him best tend to use the same words to describe Hassabis: brilliant, relentless, so ferociously competitive that he can’t stand losing a game of foosball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 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 mean I understand. You think Susie is a monster. But I can’t stand to see people, or animals, or even monsters, in pain.”

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---