withstand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
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withstanding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
-
withstanding
present participle
verb
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(tr) to stand up to forcefully; resist
-
(intr) to remain firm in endurance or opposition
Synonym Usage
See oppose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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withstandsimple
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withstandssimple
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have withstoodperfect
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has withstoodperfect
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am withstandingprogressive
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are withstandingprogressive
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is withstandingprogressive
-
have been withstandingperfect progressive
-
has been withstandingperfect progressive
Past
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withstoodsimple
-
had withstoodperfect
-
was withstandingprogressive
-
were withstandingprogressive
-
had been withstandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of withstand
First recorded before 900; Middle English withstanden, Old English withstandan ( see with-, stand); cognate with Old Norse vithstanda; akin to German widerstehen
Explanation
In the story of the three little pigs, only the house made of brick was able to withstand the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf. To withstand is to hold up against something strong. Withstand means to stand your ground against a powerful and negative force. A lot of toys can withstand rough treatment, but CDs definitely can't. And hopefully, you can withstand the pressures of school and work! If you can withstand a lot of criticism, it means you can take it without giving up.
Vocabulary lists containing withstand
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
And the little rationale the rule does provide does not withstand scrutiny.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
“The economy is healthy enough to withstand a few rate hikes, keeping the Federal Reserve’s attention firmly on the upside risks to inflation,” wrote Michael Pearce, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
If earnings remain strong, stocks can withstand a surprisingly restrictive Fed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Part of that work involves researching which coral species are able to better withstand rapidly warming oceans as a result of human-caused climate change.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
American principles, freedom, democracy, and justice for all, withstand the test of time.
From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
It could eventually improve understanding of how DNA withstands light exposure, how energy travels through materials designed to harvest light, and how other fundamental light-driven processes occur.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
We have only one path forward: build a more capable American open-weight alternative that withstands attempted jailbreaks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Carpenter offers many advantages to investors seeking companies whose competitive barriers to entry are as resistant as its nickel-based alloy Pyromet 41 External link —which withstands temperatures as high as 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Vanguard released a follow-up report on Wednesday on “How America withstands financial hardships” that takes a deep dive behind the headlines.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026
“Nothing withstands the onslaught of an angry Fflam!”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Yes, because they have withstood the loss of huge names to a breakaway tour that has been financed to the tune of $5bn and that tour has now filed for bankruptcy protection.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
This year’s stock rally has already withstood inflation, war and eye-watering AI budgets, but investors may be reaching their limit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
As for the status of the anti-unitarian precedent of Humphrey’s, the court claimed its logic has “not withstood the test of time” and had been effectively undermined for decades.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
Slaughter, the majority opinion said the “Humphrey’s framework has not withstood the test of time” and the court therefore overrules it.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
But when he thought to complain about the burden of its weight, he remembered that, because he had the jacket, he had withstood the cold of the dawn.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
Google’s search business isn’t just withstanding the threat posed by artificial intelligence, according to an analyst.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Higher yields normally reduce the appeal of crypto, but it’s withstanding the pressure in recent sessions, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The 21-year-old Noskova reached her first major final by withstanding Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk's second-set fightback to prevail 6-4 6-4.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
"This project is designed to update those protective features to ensure that they are capable of withstanding modern weaponry like drones."
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The Mir Space Station wasn’t the first or only space station to orbit Earth, but it was the longest-lasting one, withstanding 15 years and 86,000 orbits.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
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.
