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stand

Pronunciation: /stand/
Translate stand | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of stand

verb (past and past participle stood /stʊd/)

  • 1 [no object, usually with adverbial of place] have or maintain an upright position, supported by one’s feet:Lionel stood in the doorway she stood still, heart hammering
  • rise to one’s feet:the two men stood up and shook hands
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] move somewhere in an upright position:she stood aside to let them enter
  • [with object and adverbial of place] place or set in an upright or specified position:don’t stand the plant in direct sunlight
  • 2 [no object, with adverbial of place] (of an object, building, or settlement) be situated in a particular place or position:the town stood on a hill the hotel stands in three acres of gardens
  • (of a building or other vertical structure) remain upright and entire rather than fall into ruin or be destroyed:after the storms only one house was left standing
  • remain valid or unaltered:my decision stands he won 31 caps-a record which stood for 42 years
  • (especially of a vehicle) remain stationary:the train now standing at platform 3
  • (of a liquid) collect and remain motionless:soil where water stands in winter
  • (especially of food) rest without disturbance, typically so as to infuse or marinate:pour boiling water over the fruit and leave it to stand for 5 minutes
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of a ship) remain on a specified course:the ship was standing north
  • 3 [no object, with complement] be in a specified state or condition:since mother’s death the house had stood empty sorry, darling—I stand corrected
  • adopt a particular attitude towards a matter or issue:students should consider where they stand on this issue
  • be of a specified height:Sampson was a small man, standing 5 ft 4 in tall
  • (stand at) be at (a particular level or value):the budget stood at £2,000 million per annum
  • [no object, with infinitive] be in a situation where one is likely to do something:investors stood to lose heavily
  • act in a specified capacity:he stood security for the government’s borrowings
  • (also stand at stud) [no object] (of a stallion) be available for breeding.
  • 4 [with object and often modal] withstand (an experience or test) without being damaged:small, stable boats that could stand the punishment of heavy seas will your cooker stand the strain of the festive season?
  • [with modal and usually negative] informal be able to endure or tolerate:I can’t stand the way Mum talks to him I can’t stand brandy
  • 5 [no object] British be a candidate in an election:he stood for parliament in 1968
  • 6 [no object] act as umpire in a cricket match.
  • 7 [usually with two objects] provide (food or drink) for (someone) at one’s own expense:somebody in the bar would stand him a coffee

noun

  • 1 [usually in singular] an attitude towards a particular issue:the party’s tough stand on immigration his traditionalist stand
  • a determined effort to resist or fight for something:this was not the moment to make a stand for independence we have to take a stand against racism
  • an act of holding one’s ground against or halting to resist an opposing force:Custer’s legendary last stand
  • Cricketanother term for partnership.they shared a second-wicket stand of 135
  • 2a rack, base, or piece of furniture for holding, supporting, or displaying something:a microphone stand
  • a small stall or booth in a street, market, or public building from which goods are sold:a hot-dog stand
  • chiefly British an upright structure on which an organization displays promotional material at an exhibition: stands exhibiting new wines
  • a raised platform for a band, orchestra, or speaker.
  • 3the place where someone typically stands or sits:she took her stand in front of the desks
  • a place where vehicles, typically taxis, wait for passengers: a taxi stand the terminal’s facilities include additional aircraft parking stands
  • (also witness stand) a witness box:Sergeant Harris took the stand
  • 4a large raised tiered structure for spectators, typically at a sporting venue:United’s manager watched from the stands
  • 5 [usually in singular] a cessation from motion or progress:the train drew to a stand by the signal box
  • the mean sea level at a particular period in the past.
  • the state of the tide at high or low water when there is little change in water level.
  • each halt made on a touring theatrical production to give one or more performances.
  • 6a group of growing plants of a specified kind, especially trees:a stand of poplars
  • 7South African a plot of land.
    [perhaps from Afrikaans standplaas 'standing place']

Phrases

as it stands

in its present condition:there are no merits in the Bill as it stands
(also as things stand) in the present circumstances:the country would struggle, as it stands, to host the next World Cup

be at a stand

archaic be perplexed and unable to take action.

it stands to reason

see reason.

stand and deliver!

historical a highwayman’s order to hand over money and valuables.

stand a chance

see chance.

stand easy!

see easy.

stand one's ground

maintain one’s position, typically in the face of opposition:she stood her ground, refusing to let him intimidate her

stand someone in good stead

see stead.

stand on me

informal, dated rely on me; believe me.

stand on one's own (two) feet

be or become self-reliant or independent: he’ll have to stand on his own two feet

stand out a mile

see mile.

stand out like a sore thumb

see sore.

stand pat

see pat2.

stand treat

dated bear the expense of treating someone to something.

stand trial

be tried in a court of law: he was due to stand trial for spreading propaganda

stand up and be counted

state publicly one’s support for someone or something: those who admire her should stand up and be counted

will the real —— please stand up

informal used rhetorically to indicate that the specified person should clarify their position or reveal their true character:he was so different from the unhappy man of a week ago—would the real Jack Lawrence please stand up?

Phrasal Verbs

stand alone

be unequalled:when it came to fun Fergus stood alone

stand aside

take no action to prevent, or not involve oneself in, something that is happening:the army had stood aside as the monarchy fell
another way of saying stand down (sense 1 phrasalVerbs) below.

stand back

withdraw from a situation emotionally in order to view it more objectively: I blazed with rage, then stood back and assessed the situation
another way of saying stand aside above.

stand by

  • 1be present while something bad is happening but fail to take any action to stop it:he was beaten to the ground as onlookers stood by
  • 2support or remain loyal to (someone), typically in a time of need:she had stood by him during his years in prison
  • adhere to or abide by (something promised, stated, or decided):the government must stand by its pledges
  • 3be ready to deal or assist with something:two battalions were on their way, and a third was standing by

stand down

  • 1withdraw or resign from a position or office:he stood down as leader of the party
  • 2 (stand down or stand someone down) relax or cause to relax after a state of readiness:if something doesn’t happen soon, I reckon they’ll stand us down
  • 3(of a witness) leave the witness box after giving evidence.

stand for

  • 1be an abbreviation of or symbol for:BBC stands for British Broadcasting Corporation
  • 2 [with negative] informal refuse to endure or tolerate:I won’t stand for any nonsense
  • 3support (a cause or principle):we stand for animal welfare

stand in

  • 1deputize:Brown stood in for the injured Simpson
  • 2 Nautical sail closer to the shore.

stand in with

dated be in league or partnership with: I should enjoy standing in with Tammany, in some enormously wicked deal

stand off

  • 1move or keep away:the women stood off at a slight distance
  • 2 Nautical sail further away from the shore: the ship was standing off on the landward side

stand someone off

  • 1keep someone away; repel someone: they could not hope to stand off all the horsemen

stand on

  • 1be scrupulous in the observance of:call me Alexander-don’t let’s stand on formality
  • 2 Nautical continue on the same course.

stand out

  • 1project from a surface:the veins in his neck stood out
  • be easily noticeable:he was one of those men who stood out in a crowd
  • be clearly better or more significant than someone or something:four issues stand out as being of crucial importance
  • 2persist in opposition or support of something:she stood out against public opinion

stand over

  • 1stand close to (someone) so as to watch, supervise, or intimidate them: matron stood over them while they had their dreaded wash with cold water
  • 2 (stand over or stand something over) be postponed or postpone to be dealt with at a later date:a number of points were stood over to a further meeting

stand to

[often in imperative] Military stand ready for an attack, especially one before dawn or after dark: orders came to the guardroom to stand to

stand up

(of an argument, claim, evidence, etc.) remain valid after close scrutiny or analysis: you need to have hard evidence that will stand up in court the argument does not stand up to analysis

stand someone up

informal fail to keep an appointment with a boyfriend or girlfriend: she threw eggs over his car after he stood her up

stand up for

speak or act in support of:she learned to stand up for herself

stand up to

  • 1make a spirited defence against:giving workers the confidence to stand up to their employers
  • 2be resistant to the harmful effects of (prolonged use): choose a carpet that will stand up to wear and tear

Derivatives

stander

noun

Origin:

Old English standan (verb), stand (noun), of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin stare and Greek histanai, also by the noun stead

The use of the past participle stood with the verb ‘to be’, as in we were stood in a line for hours, is not acceptable in standard English, where the present participle standing should be used instead. See also sit (usage).

stand in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of stand in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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Word of the day

enjambement

/ ɪnˈdʒam(b)m(ə)nt /
noun
(in verse) the continuation of a sentence without a pause …