withstand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
-
withstanding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
-
withstanding
present participle
verb
-
(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
-
withstandsimple
-
withstandssimple
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have withstoodperfect
-
has withstoodperfect
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am withstandingprogressive
-
are withstandingprogressive
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is withstandingprogressive
-
have been withstandingperfect progressive
-
has been withstandingperfect progressive
Past
-
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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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:
Top Fuel drivers need lightning-fast reactions and the physical endurance to withstand the intense forces.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The developments come as top oil officials warn that global stockpiles are running low, meaning governments' ability to withstand the impact of the crisis is waning.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
In cartilage, it is especially important because it helps the tissue withstand pressure while maintaining the smooth surface joints need for movement.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
Nobody knows where the Shakespeare nickname came from, but city officials designated the bridge as L.A.’s Historic-Cultural Monument No. 126 in 1974 and retrofitted it in the 1990s to better withstand earthquakes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
And because it grew and flourished it got the power that money brings, so that to attempt to withstand it was like trying to stop the onward rush of the great juggernaut.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
The rootstock forms the roots and lower trunk and helps determine how well the tree withstands disease and its environment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
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
ChatGPT maker OpenAI unveiled this month a 13-page "Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age" that calls for new taxation and expanded safety nets to ensure society withstands the arrival of superintelligent systems.
From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 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
But Jason withstood the fearful creatures as a great rock in the sea withstands the waves.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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
The shop withstood the loss of his mom and dad, the pandemic and the stress of the Eaton fire, which destroyed his brother’s home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
This year’s stock rally has withstood war, inflation and uncertainty surrounding the tech sector’s massive artificial-intelligence investments.
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
Walter withstood a barrage of hostile questions and rose above Yutar’s petty machinations to explain our policy in clear and simple terms.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Google’s search business isn’t just withstanding the threat posed by artificial intelligence, according to an analyst.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
A run of brighter-than-expected data has lifted hopes Germany is withstanding the worst of the Middle East war and subsequent soaring energy costs, and gradually emerging from a years-long stagnation.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 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
“Preventing conflicts before they arise, as well as withstanding a protracted conflict, are essential for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities,” the ministry said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
The men congratulated one another and praised the ship for withstanding the ice.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
