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.
-
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
-
-
-
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
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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:
"Hacks," the tale of a stand-up comedian trying to revive her career and the dysfunctional millennial assistant who helps her, had led the way for comedies with 24 nominations, compared to 19 for "Widow's Bay."
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
This year her department has a slate of 44 new and returning scripted series from the U.S. and Canada, excluding stand-up, comedy formats and adult animation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Many recent stand-up acts might be critically acclaimed, but too few of them seem to garner the level of public praise as others do ire from fans.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
But Chawawa has since branched out from social media - making two Bafta-nominated TV documentaries, starring on Taskmaster and doing stand-up comedy.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
When a stand-up puts down a heckler, he has to do so by being funnier: compelling laughter, very directly, gets the audience on his side.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
"On my third day in hospital, I tried to stand up and I couldn't. The nurses told me not to walk and when you hear that it's a bit of an alarm bell," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
“Will they stand up or roll over?” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Having said that, does the allegation that Leclerc has a "tendency to crash out of races" stand up?
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
“The message I am going to bring, of course, is that we are going to stand up for our workers,” he told reporters before the meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
But when she crosses her arms and pouts, I realize Denny really did stand up for me.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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
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
It’s not what the stand-ups could learn, it’s what the clubs could learn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
Is there anything American stand-ups can learn from British comedy?
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
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.
