stand-up
adjective
standing erect or upright, as a collar.
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stood up.
stand-up
American
[stand-uhp]
/ ˈstændˌʌp /
Or
standup
adjective
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standing erect or upright, as a collar.
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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
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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
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(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
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-
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to confront or resist courageously
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to withstand or endure (wear, criticism, etc)
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adjective
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having or being in an erect position
a stand-up collar
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done, performed, taken, etc, while standing
a stand-up meal
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(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
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a stand-up comedian
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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]
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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:
No question that on every level, stand-up comedy has gotten meaner over the last decade.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
But fans grew suspicious as holes emerged in her story, said Dave Neal, a stand-up comedian who was among the first to cover the case on his YouTube show “Rush Hour.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
"Hacks," the tale of a stand-up comedian trying to revive her career and the dysfunctional millennial assistant who helps her, had led the way for comedies with 24 nominations, compared to 19 for "Widow's Bay."
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
The 46-year-old is one of the best known stand-up comics in the UK, having appeared on shows such as Mock The Week and Russell Howard's Good News.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
I knew—as he knew—that it was a stand-up fight with death, and in a pause told him so.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
All her life, Beatty said, she has felt compelled to stand up for her rights, especially as a woman of color.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
"A tropical cyclone has to stand up straight before it can intensify," said Michael S. Fischer, the lead author and an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the Rosenstiel School.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
I respect Macklemore's strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Will they stand up or roll over?” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“You aren’t funny, cadet,” he sneered, and I saw him stand up straighter in an attempt to offset the three additional inches of height I’d had on him since we were both eight.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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
And yet, some stand-ups still feel success should be given to them, while others do the work, find their people within the community and take it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025
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.
