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.
-
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
-
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
-
informal (tr) to fail to keep an appointment with, esp intentionally
-
-
to support, side with, or defend
-
to serve as best man for (the groom) at a wedding
-
-
-
to confront or resist courageously
-
to withstand or endure (wear, criticism, etc)
-
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
-
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:
The next Tuesday, I found myself near midnight in the West Village, tumbling out of a stand-up comedy show at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theater with a friend, Syrie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
With the tenacity of a farmhand, his desire to grow in stand-up caught the attention of one of his idols, Gabriel Iglesias, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 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
There was always something going whether it was smooth talking or trying to be funny, but I think stand-up taught me how to be quiet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
One of the reasons laughter is so effective as a tool for persuasion—and any stand-up comic who has ever seen off a heckler with a zinging one-liner knows this—is that laughter is involuntary assent.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
It would be much better if it didn’t have to get that far, but we do still have a robust and independent judiciary that has been willing to stand up to nonsense.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
“Real change starts when regular folks stand up for what’s right,” he said in an endorsement video.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
"Bad men gain power when we refuse to stand up and fight," she said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Ruso liked to stand up on his hind paws to hug people using his front paws, Reyes said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
We are going to stand up the obelisk near the Temple of the Sun.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
He settled in Ireland and built a comedy career doing specials unlike what you’d find most young stand-ups doing in America.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
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
Some stand-ups go up there like, “I have the mic, I’m on the stage, I do my thing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
