withstand

[with-stand, with-]

See more synonyms for withstand on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), with·stood, with·stand·ing.

to stand or hold out against; resist or oppose, especially successfully: to withstand rust; to withstand the invaders; to withstand temptation.

verb (used without object), with·stood, with·stand·ing.

to stand in opposition; resist.

Origin of withstand

before 900; Middle English withstanden, Old English withstandan (see with-, stand); cognate with Old Norse vithstanda; akin to German widerstehen

Related formswith·stand·er, nounwith·stand·ing·ness, nounun·with·stand·ing, adjectiveun·with·stood, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for withstand on Thesaurus.com

1. confront, face. See oppose.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for withstood

Contemporary Examples

He was offered a job as literary editor of Commonweal, but “withstood the temptation.”
A Plot Against Living: J.F. Powers’s ‘Suitable Accommodations’
D. G. Myers
August 20, 2013
The Christian Coalition has withstood similar attacks from groups like Freedomworks.
The Tea Party's Corporate Ally
Benjamin Sarlin
September 11, 2010
But he withstood my eight years in the White House, so we know how to make the most of our time.
Hillary Deploys a Friend in the Fight for Women's Rights
Sandra McElwaine
March 12, 2010
When we arrived there on foot, I thought at first that the house had withstood the quake.
What I Saw in Haiti
Buck Close
January 15, 2010
There was no room to budge but we were all anxious to get to the Provincial House and find out how it had withstood the quake.
What I Saw in Haiti
Buck Close
January 15, 2010

Historical Examples

He withstood the pain, and the boiling oil did not harm him.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
I withstood all that, but you don't give up at all and step by step you are overcoming my resolve.
The Middle Class Gentleman
Moliere
She had withstood attack from a German submarine for four hours.
The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII)
Various
Whatever the compulsion put upon her, she ought to have withstood it.
The Manxman
Hall Caine
Then he will settle his score with the nobles of Naples who have withstood him.
The Historical Nights' Entertainment
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for withstood

withstand

verb -stands, -standing or -stood

(tr) to stand up to forcefully; resist
(intr) to remain firm in endurance or opposition

Derived Formswithstander, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for withstood

withstand

v.

Old English wiðstandan, from wið "against" (see with) + standan "to stand" (see stand (v.)); perhaps a loan-translation of Latin resistere "to resist" (see resist). Cf. Old Norse viðstanda, Old Frisian withstonda, Old High German widarstan. In 14c. and early 15c., withsit was in use with the same meaning. Related: Withstood; withstanding.

withstand

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}withstand

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for withstood

Contemporary Examples

He was offered a job as literary editor of Commonweal, but “withstood the temptation.”

The Christian Coalition has withstood similar attacks from groups like Freedomworks.

But he withstood my eight years in the White House, so we know how to make the most of our time.

When we arrived there on foot, I thought at first that the house had withstood the quake.

There was no room to budge but we were all anxious to get to the Provincial House and find out how it had withstood the quake.

Historical Examples

He withstood the pain, and the boiling oil did not harm him.

I withstood all that, but you don't give up at all and step by step you are overcoming my resolve.

She had withstood attack from a German submarine for four hours.

Whatever the compulsion put upon her, she ought to have withstood it.

Then he will settle his score with the nobles of Naples who have withstood him.

withstand

Word Origin and History for withstood

withstand

v.

Origin of withstand