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

See Examples For:

can't stand

"They keep taking things, I can't stand it," protests the person recording with their phone.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

“I think the inability to seek federal habeas relief would also lead to more people simply giving up on viable claims for immigration relief because they can’t stand to be in detention any longer.”

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026

"I can't carry petrol because what if it catches fire? If I can't stand up, I'll get badly burned," he says.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

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

“Sutton and Briggs don’t have the patience, and Tanner can’t stand still long enough to do anything with his hands. My dad’s got his other jobs today, so he told me to do this.”

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Related Words

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