stand-up
adjective
standing erect or upright, as a collar.
stand-up
American
[stand-uhp]
/ ˈstændˌʌp /
Or
standup
adjective
-
standing erect or upright, as a collar.
-
performed, taken, etc., while one stands.
a stand-up meal.
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designed for or requiring a standing position.
a stand-up lunch counter.
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(of a fight) characterized by the rapid exchange of many blows with little attention given to defensive maneuvering.
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(of a person) characterized by an erect or bold stance.
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Baseball. (of a double or triple) pertaining to a hit that allows the hitter to reach the base safely without having to slide.
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relating to or noting a performance by a comedian delivering a monologue while alone on the stage.
stand-up comedy;
the best stand-up comics.
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Slang. loyal and dependable.
He seems to be a real stand-up guy.
noun
-
stand-ups
plural
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comedy in which a comedian delivers a monologue while alone on the stage.
We bought tickets to see some stand-up at a club downtown.
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a comedian who delivers such monologues.
I've been a stand-up for about five years.
stand up
British
verb
-
(intr) to rise to the feet
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(intr) to resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc
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informal (tr) to fail to keep an appointment with, esp intentionally
-
-
to support, side with, or defend
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to serve as best man for (the groom) at a wedding
-
-
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to confront or resist courageously
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to withstand or endure (wear, criticism, etc)
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adjective
-
having or being in an erect position
a stand-up collar
-
done, performed, taken, etc, while standing
a stand-up meal
-
(of comedy or a comedian) performed or performing solo
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informal (of a boxer) having an aggressive style without much leg movement
a stand-up fighter
noun
-
a stand-up comedian
-
stand-up comedy
stand up
Idioms
-
Remain valid, sound, or durable, as in His claim will not stand up in court , or Our old car stood up well over time . [Mid-1900s]
-
Fail to keep a date or appointment with, as in Al stood her up twice in the past week, and that will be the end of their relationship . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900] Also see stand up for ; stand up to ; stand up with .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stand-up
First recorded in 1580–90; adjective and noun use of verb phrase stand up
Vocabulary lists containing stand-up
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.
See Examples For:
Comedian Kelsey Cook knows it all too well, both as a stand-up and a world champion foosball player.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Philip Simon was due to perform his stand-up show at the Banshee Labyrinth on Niddry Street, but the venue scrapped it at short notice after it carried out "routine" checks on his social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Gerben, who had been working as a paralegal as his buddy’s stand-up career skyrocketed, said he was grateful to get swept back into show business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Playing a character calls for a different range of emotion than he presents on stage in his stand-up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Maybe when I grow up I could be like a stand-up comedian, and just get onstage and make those noises.”
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
“This is really an unprecedented situation, and I honestly don’t believe it’s going to stand up in court.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
I’d like to stand up for Dr. Anthony Fauci.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“I think the judges are trying to stand up for the legitimacy of their branch.”
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
"These young people have shown that if you stand up, you are likely to succeed," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
I tried to stand up straight and declare what I knew to be true, even though the last time I said it, I was kicked out of my home.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
“Our customers aren’t actually all in the office anymore, and so they don’t necessarily want us in the office with them, but we do daily stand-ups with them.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
And these are stand-ups I love, and they’re not that great.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
But these days stand-ups release a lot more product than they used to and in more places, from satellite radio to TikTok.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
Arenas, like the ones Kay performs in, bring in more people but they can also bring problems for stand-ups, he says.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2025
Because of the fame the series brought, she could work out material while touring instead of trying to play the game of internet recognition that so many stand-ups do these days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
