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.

“I can’t stand around and guard the thing all day,” he said.

From Literature

“Look at him, he’s not purple. I can’t stand around here all day waiting for him to turn purple. Here, kid.”

From Literature

"I can't stand them, like they make me dry retch. So if it was a cane toad, it would have scared me."

From BBC

“You can’t stand still. So you take a step, not knowing if the ground will be perfectly firm,” Frederico said.

From The Wall Street Journal

I can’t stand tall—what if they see me?

From Literature

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