can't stand

Idioms

Also,. Thoroughly dislike; be unable to put up with something or someone. For example, I can't stand the sight of her; she's obnoxious, or I can't bear to leave the country, or I can't stomach a filthy kitchen. The oldest of these synonymous expressions is can't abide, which Shakespeare used in 2 Henry IV (3:2): “She could not abide Master Shallow.” Can't stand dates from the early 1600; can't bear dates from about 1700 and often but not always is used with an infinitive; can't stomach dates from the late 1600s and today is less common than the others.

Example Sentences

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can't stand

Some customers have outright walked away because they can’t stand the stench of the rotting food that remains.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

In 2008, shortly before Oasis split up, Liam declared that he "can't stand singing that song" - the acoustically-driven ballad that launched a thousand buskers.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

"They keep taking things, I can't stand it," protests the person recording with their phone.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

“I think the inability to seek federal habeas relief would also lead to more people simply giving up on viable claims for immigration relief because they can’t stand to be in detention any longer.”

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026

“Get on this ride or go back down the stairs. You can’t stand here. It’s against the rules.”

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

can't stand

Example Sentences

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