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:
Scattering straw between vines, known as mulching, is not new, but what has changed is its purpose: from improving general soil health to helping vineyards withstand a warming climate.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Investors have been jittery over whether Salesforce can withstand artificial-intelligence disruption, but a J.P.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
However, the equipment used for electrolysis must withstand demanding chemical and electrical conditions, especially when salt is involved.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
But Davari said that for now, Iran can withstand the pressure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
They were all confident that their Norwegian-built ship, with her thick hull, could withstand being locked in the ice.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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
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
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek withstood an Elina Svitolina comeback attempt to seal a 6-3 1-6 6-3 win in Toronto and reach her first WTA final of the season.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 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
The imposing grain silos at Beirut’s port mostly withstood last year’s massive explosion — but now serve as reminders of negligence and destruction.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Where pseudosciences fail is in not subjecting their conclusions to a test, in not linking them in a coherent way to other statements which have withstood scrutiny.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
In the context of the season, it's Barcelona that seems the anomaly, not Austria, not withstanding the chassis upgrade introduced in Spain and the engine boost in Austria.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Critical to withstanding pressure from the Middle East war is a long-term push by Beijing to ensure energy security, which experts say is now bearing fruit.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
The former Northeastern sensation, Keller’s teammate in the PWHL, once considered too small for serious hockey, withstanding everything Canada had to give.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
The Indiana Pacers toppled the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 117-114 on Friday, withstanding a 47-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win an NBA Finals rematch.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
Many of the microscopic parasites that produced malaria would survive the sublethal dose and produce offspring capable of withstanding a full dose of the medicine.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
