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

Healey warned the prime minister he'd have to quit if nothing changed, saying, "As it is, I can't stand behind this – and I would have to resign".

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

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

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 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

You can’t stand up in the economy pods.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 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

Related Words

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