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
-
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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:
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
But Declan’s turf is the raffish seaside town of Blackpool, home to cheeky postcards and stand-up comedians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Carrott, whose real name is Robert Davis, became a household name in the 1970s thanks to his stand-up comedy and novelty songs.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
His mind was set on making a traditional stand-up special, a thought that crosses his mind anytime he’s getting ready for a new hour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Only thing worse than a stand-up talk is a sit-down talk.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
If the other parties "choose not to stand, somebody has to stand up and be the opposition. And so it's my humble duty to actually be His Majesty's official opposition," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
I’d like to stand up for Dr. Anthony Fauci.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
That was enough to persuade Cornyn and Tillis to sign on, but both still voiced some reservations about Blanche’s ability to stand up to Trump, who is his former legal client.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
A spokesman for Reform said: "We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people".
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Akira helped Sue stand up and rearrange her shirt.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
“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
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.
