standby

American  

[stand-bahy] / ˈstændˌbaɪ /

Or stand-by

noun

standbys plural

1. a staunch supporter or adherent; one who can be relied upon.

2. something upon which one can rely and therefore choose or use regularly.

3. something or someone held ready to serve as a substitute, especially a radio or television program used as a filler in case of cancellation of a regularly scheduled program.

4. a traveler who is waiting for last-minute accommodations to become available on a plane, train, or other transport as a result of a cancellation.

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adjective

1. kept readily available for use in an emergency, shortage, or the like.

   a standby player.

2. of or relating to last-minute accommodations, the transport that offers them, or a traveler who is waiting for them.

   a standby flight.

3. of or relating to a waiting period.

idioms

1. on standby, in a state of readiness to act, respond, or be used immediately when needed.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• standbys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of standby

First recorded in 1790–1800; noun, adj. use of verb phrase stand by

Explanation

A standby is something (or someone) you can rely on in an emergency, like the bicycle you keep as a standby in case your old car won't start. In basketball, the players on the bench are the standbys for their teammates on the court; and in theater, an actor's understudy is her standby. When something is "on standby," it's ready to jump in or be used immediately. And when you fly on standby, you are ready to take an extra seat on a flight if one becomes available. Standby comes from nautical slang for "a vessel kept for emergencies," originally "that which stands by one."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

standby standbys

"Like everyone else, we're on standby, vehicles ready and a backpack packed. All we can do is wait," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

So I chose to get on a standby list for a flight the next morning, but I was nervous I wouldn’t make it onto that one, either.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

Israeli officials had been on standby for possible strikes, one person said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

It’s why I always have my hot sauce on standby.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

Resist the urge to write contractions with how, when, where, or why, except that old standby where’s.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Rock’s commercial struggles in the streaming era may also be spurring fans of the genre toward old standbys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

It’s lighter than some Italian-American standbys, but no less satisfying — the flavor comes forward with every twist of the fork, sharp and indulgent in equal measure, a little citrus perfume in every mouthful.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025

Since their mainstream emergence in 2022, A.I. apps have been a point of concern for game workers like visual artists, software engineers, and voice-over standbys.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2024

An additional juror was sworn in as an alternate, and the process of finding five more standbys will continue on Friday.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2024

He put all his strength into every sermon and exhortation, whether addressed to admiring and weeping thousands at a great camp-meeting, or to a dozen or less "standbys" at the Saturday-morning service of a quarterly-meeting.

From California Sketches, Second Series by Fitzgerald, O. P.