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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

Etymology

Origin of stand-up

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

Example Sentences

Cartlidge said the UK's Nato allies are boosting their reserves to "stand up to the more dangerous world we all face".

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

For the first time, they banded together to stand up to him.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026

In case after case, the data consistently show these claims don’t stand up to scrutiny, with one 2024 paper exposing the consequences of such false beliefs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026

“My generation needs to give back more. We need to stand up more. We need to fight back more. We need to be more like Fred.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

I stand up, throw my backpack over my shoulder, and lean down to scratch Mav behind his ears.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• bear
• endure
• exist
• get through
• handle
• keep
• last
• live
• recover
• remain
• ride out
• subsist
• suffer
• sustain
• weather
• withstand