stand-up

Or stand·up

[stand-uhp]

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.

noun

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

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)

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of stand up¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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 .

Example Sentences

He said he began writing stand-up comedy in his mid-20s out of boredom while he was recovering from a bout of shingles.

Read more on BBC

Actor Will Arnett has revealed how "scary" it was doing live stand-up comedy as he prepared to play a novice comedian in Bradley Cooper's new movie "Is This Thing On?"

Read more on Barron's

Describing a landscape with streaming services filled with genre mash-ups — comedy thrillers or comedy dramas — aside from stand-up specials, Reich sees a gap in the market for comedy that exists only as comedy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Her friend called her crazy but Robinson, 41, realized she was onto new material to explore for her stand-up stage.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His rendition, which often presents the president as a zany stand-up comedian slinging joke after joke, has won wide respect in the comedy world, and anchored SNL’s political takes for the last four seasons.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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