Language of the Day: Phrasal Verbs and Idioms using ‘stand’
Today we’ll look at some of the many phrasal verbs and idioms that include the word ‘stand’ in them along with definitions and examples!
Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs and prepositions that take on a new meaning.
For example, the verb ‘stand’ combined with the preposition ‘up’ becomes the phrasal verb ‘stand up’ which means to defend or support a person, cause, or belief.
“The student stood up to her classmate who had been bullying her.”
However, ‘stand up’ also has a literal meaning such as, “The student stood up when the teacher called his name.”
In this example sentence, ‘stood up’ is not used as a phrasal verb with an idiomatic meaning, but simply expresses the literal action of standing in the direction of up.
Now let’s look at some more common phrasal verbs and idioms using stand!
-Stand around: spend time in a place waiting, doing nothing or very little
“We stood around for an hour waiting but the realtor didn’t show up.”
-Stand for: 1. accept or tolerate behaviour
“I will never stand for inequality in the workplace.”
-Stand for: 2. the words represented by certain initials
“I just found out that MOSAIC stands for Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities.”
-Take a stand: to express a strong opinion or position on an issue
“My co-worker took a stand when the manager said he wasn’t going to compensate us for working over-time.”
-Stand out: 1. to be easily noticeable or distinguishable from others
“Since you dyed your hair blue, you really stand out!”
-Stand out: 2. to be extraordinary or different
“Her résumé really stood out from the other candidates because of her extensive volunteer work.”
-Can’t stand: thoroughly dislike someone or something
“My mom can’t stand it when I don’t clean the dishes after I cook in the kitchen.”
-To stand a chance: to have a possibility or likelihood of success or failure
“All of the other applicants have way more work experience than me. I don’t stand a chance at getting the job unless I really impress them during the job interview.”