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• stand-up
  stand-up

  adjective

  standing erect or upright, as a collar.
• stand up
  stand up

  verb

  (intr) to rise to the feet

stand-up

American  

[stand-uhp] / ˈstændˌʌp /

Or standup

adjective

1. standing erect or upright, as a collar.

2. performed, taken, etc., while one stands.

   a stand-up meal.

3. designed for or requiring a standing position.

   a stand-up lunch counter.

4. (of a fight) characterized by the rapid exchange of many blows with little attention given to defensive maneuvering.

5. (of a person) characterized by an erect or bold stance.

6. Baseball. (of a double or triple) pertaining to a hit that allows the hitter to reach the base safely without having to slide.

7. 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.

8. Slang. loyal and dependable.

   He seems to be a real stand-up guy.

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noun

• stand-ups
  plural

1. 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.

2. a comedian who delivers such monologues.

   I've been a stand-up for about five years.

stand up British  

verb

1. (intr) to rise to the feet

2. (intr) to resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc

3. informal (tr) to fail to keep an appointment with, esp intentionally

4. 1. to support, side with, or defend

   2. to serve as best man for (the groom) at a wedding

5. 1. to confront or resist courageously

   2. to withstand or endure (wear, criticism, etc)

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adjective

1. having or being in an erect position

   a stand-up collar

2. done, performed, taken, etc, while standing

   a stand-up meal

3. (of comedy or a comedian) performed or performing solo

4. informal (of a boxer) having an aggressive style without much leg movement

   a stand-up fighter

noun

1. a stand-up comedian

2. stand-up comedy

stand up Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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 .

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stand-ups
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stand-up

First recorded in 1580–90; adjective and noun use of verb phrase stand up

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stand-up stand up stand-ups

I felt the best way to get across who he was was to show all the ways he was publicly, in stand-up, sketches, movies and interviews, and maybe it would add up to to something.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

For Rodriguez, who is best known as a stand-up comedian, “Hurricane Seasons” also marked a return to a part of her artistic identity that existed long before comedy — her love of acting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

But Vincer said that while he regarded Tether as “a stand-up company,” Nxum failed to pay him what he believed he was owed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Oh, I would definitely say stand-up is my weighted blanket for sure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

It was either an amazing feat of stubbornness or naiveté, I thought, for someone who had seen so much death and suffering to still believe so unconditionally that everyone was as stand-up as he was.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

"Bad men gain power when we refuse to stand up and fight," she said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Back at Hollywood Forever, she told the audience she likes “Carrie” because it reminds viewers to stand up to bullies and because it celebrates the world’s weirdos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

It’s hard to stand up in moments like these, but look what happens when we don’t.

From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2026

In the run-up, she had been tempted to call it off, but felt powerless to stand up for herself.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

But Karli did not want me to stand up for him.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

The guest list was as eclectic as the format: fellow stand-ups, YouTubers, chess players and assorted internet personalities, each drawn into Raina's loose, improvisational orbit.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

“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

With a reputation for clean comedy and fostering a sense of stability for his fellow stand-ups under his ever-expanding production company, Nateland, Bargatze continues his mild-mannered hot streak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025

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