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.
-
(of a person) characterized by an erect or bold stance.
-
Baseball. (of a double or triple) pertaining to a hit that allows the hitter to reach the base safely without having to slide.
-
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
-
(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:
It’s not every day you see a stand-up comic saunter onstage looking straight from the rancho to make a room full of people laugh all their problems away.
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
Oh, I would definitely say stand-up is my weighted blanket for sure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 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
The next morning, after a stand-up breakfast in the café, Lupita started her job as a chambermaid.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
Six months ago, Sonay Kartal could not stand up and brush her teeth without "being in agony".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
"We need people to show up and vote and stand up for Alberta, stand up for Canada," he said during a television interview in Calgary.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 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
As the play’s narrator says of Augustus, “he can stand up to a glare, / but he doesn’t know his own heart.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The obelisk is too large and heavy to stand up.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
The two became a couple in their 20s while working as stand-ups on the Los Angeles comedy scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 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
He counts Caitlin Gill, now living in 29 Palms, among his favorite stand-ups to book.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 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.
