sitting and standing

stand

I. stand¹ S1 W1 /stænd/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle stood /stʊd/)
[Word Family: adjective: ↑standing, ↑outstanding, ↑upstanding; noun: ↑stand, ↑standing; verb: ↑stand; adverb: ↑outstandingly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: standan]
1. BE ON FEET (also be standing up) [intransitive] to support yourself on your feet or be in an upright position:
It looks like we’ll have to stand – there are no seats left.
She stood in the doorway.
Stand still (=do not move) and listen to me.
Don’t just stand there (=stand and not do anything) – help me!
stand on tiptoe/stand on your toes (=support yourself on your toes)
If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf.
stand (somewhere) doing something
They just stood there laughing.
We stood watching the rain fall.
2. RISE (also stand up) [intransitive] to rise to an upright position:
Smiling, she stood and closed the blinds.
3. STEP [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
a) to step a short distance
stand back/aside
She stood back to let him in.
stand clear of something British English (=step away from something in order to be safe)
Stand clear of the doors, please.
b) British English to accidentally step on or in something
stand on/in
Don’t stand in that puddle!
4. IN A PARTICULAR POSITION [intransitive, transitive usually + adverb/preposition] to be upright in a particular position, or to put something or someone somewhere in an upright position:
A lamp stood on the table.
Near the railway station stood a hotel.
Some remains of the original house still stand.
stand something on/in etc something
Can you stand that pole in the corner for now?
I closed the lid and stood the case against the wall.
stand somebody (up) on something
Stand Molly up on a chair so she can see.
5. IN A STATE/CONDITION [linking verb] to be or stay in a particular state or condition:
The kitchen door stood open so she went in.
stand empty/idle (=not being used)
scores of derelict houses standing empty
I’m not too thrilled with the way things stand (=the state that the situation is in) at the moment.
The evidence, as it stands (=as it is now), cannot be conclusive.
where/how do things stand? (=used to ask what is happening in a situation)
Where do things stand in terms of the budget?
I will know within the next month or two how I stand (=what my situation is).
stand united/divided (=agree or disagree completely)
He urged the whole community to stand united and to reject terrorism.
stand prepared/ready to do something (=be prepared to do something whenever it is necessary)
We should stand ready to do what is necessary to guarantee the peace.
countries that have stood together (=stayed united) in times of crisis
stand in awe of somebody (=admire them, be afraid of them, or both)
6. NOT LIKE can’t stand spoken used to say that you do not like someone or something at all, or that you think that something is extremely unpleasant SYN can’t bear:
I can’t stand bad manners.
I know he can’t stand the sight of me.
can’t stand (somebody/something) doing something
Lily can’t stand working in an office.
I can’t stand people smoking around me when I’m eating.
can’t stand to do something
She can’t stand to hear them arguing.
7. ACCEPT A SITUATION [transitive usually in questions and negatives] to be able to accept or deal well with a difficult situation SYN tolerate
can/could stand something
I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Danielle.
I’ve had about as much as I can stand of your arguing!
I don’t know if I can stand the waiting any longer.
can stand somebody doing something
How can you stand Marty coming home late all the time?
She’s a strong woman who stands no nonsense from anyone.
8. BE GOOD ENOUGH [transitive] to be good or strong enough to last a long time or to experience a particular situation without being harmed, damaged etc:
Linen can stand very high temperatures.
His poetry will stand the test of time (=stay popular).
9. stand to do something to be likely to do or have something
stand to gain/lose/win/make
What do firms think they stand to gain by merging?
After the oil spill, thousands of fishermen stand to lose their livelihoods.
10. NOT MOVE [intransitive] to stay in a particular place without moving ⇨ standstill:
The car’s been standing in the garage for weeks.
The mixture was left to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
The train was already standing at the platform.
11. HEIGHT [linking verb] formal to be a particular height:
The trophy stands five feet high.
John stood six feet tall.
12. LEVEL/AMOUNT [linking verb] to be at a particular level or amount
stand at
His former workforce of 1,300 now stands at 220.
Illiteracy rates are still thought to stand above 50 percent.
13. RANK/POSITION [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to have a particular rank or position when compared with similar things or people SYN rank:
The president stands high in the public opinion polls.
How do their sales stand in relation to those of similar firms?
His book could stand alongside the best.
14. ELECTION [intransitive] British English to try to become elected to a council, parliament etc SYN run American English
stand for
She announced her intention to stand for parliament.
15. DECISION/OFFER [intransitive not in progressive] if a decision, offer etc stands, it continues to exist, be correct, or be ↑valid:
Despite protests, the official decision stood.
My offer of help still stands.
16. if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen used to tell someone that they should leave a job or situation if they cannot deal with its difficulties
17. somebody/something could stand something used to say very directly that it would be a good idea for someone to do something or for something to happen:
His smile exposed teeth that could stand a good scrubbing.
somebody could stand to do something
My doctor told me I could stand to lose a few pounds.
18. I stand corrected spoken formal used to admit that your opinion or something that you just said was wrong
19. where somebody stands someone’s opinion about something
where somebody stands on
We still do not know where he stands on the matter.
You must decide where you stand.
20. from where I stand spoken according to what I know or feel:
I knew from where I stood that the stocks were practically worthless.
21. know where you stand (with somebody) to know how someone feels about you, or what you are allowed to do in a particular situation:
At least we know where we stand with Steven now.
I’d like to know where I stand.
It helps to know where you stand legally.
22. stand to attention British English, stand at attention American English if soldiers stand to attention, they stand very straight and stiff to show respect
23. stand on your head/hands to support yourself on your head or hands, with your feet in the air
24. stand in line American English to wait in a line of people until it is your turn to do something SYN queue British English:
Customers stood in line for 20 minutes at the cash register.
25. stand firm/stand fast
a) to refuse to be forced to move backwards:
She stood firm, blocking the entrance.
b) to refuse to change your opinions, intentions, or behaviour:
The government continued to stand firm and no concessions were made.
stand firm/stand fast on/against
He stands firm on his convictions.
26. stand pat American English to refuse to change a decision, plan etc
stand pat on
Harry’s standing pat on his decision to fire Janice.
27. stand alone
a) to continue to do something alone, without help from anyone else:
Some of the Pacific islands are too small to stand alone as independent states.
b) to be much better than anything or anyone else:
For sheer entertainment value, Kelly stood alone.
28. stand still to not change or progress at all, even though time has passed:
No industry can stand still.
Time seems to have stood still in this lovely hotel.
29. stand a chance/hope (of doing something) to be likely to be able to do something or to succeed:
You’ll stand a better chance of getting a job with a degree.
Maybe their relationship had never really stood a chance.
30. stand in sb’s way (also stand in the way) to prevent someone from doing something:
I always encouraged Brian. I didn’t want to stand in his way.
You can’t stand in the way of progress!
31. stand on your own (two) feet to be able to do what you need to do, earn your own money, etc without help from others:
She’s never learned to stand on her own feet.
32. it stands to reason (that) used to say that something should be completely clear to anyone who is sensible:
It stands to reason that you cannot find the right person to do a job unless you know exactly what that job is.
33. stand or fall by/on something to depend on something for success:
The case against him will stand or fall on its own merits.
34. LIQUID [intransitive] a liquid that stands does not flow or is not made to move:
standing pools of marsh water
35. stand guard (over somebody/something) to watch someone or something so that they do not do anything wrong or so that nothing bad happens to them:
Soldiers stand guard on street corners.
You must stand guard over him at all times.
36. stand bail British English to promise to pay money if someone does not return to a court of law to be judged
37. stand trial to be brought to a court of law to have your case examined and judged
stand trial for/on
Gresham will stand trial for murder.
The accused was ordered to stand trial on a number of charges.
38. stand accused (of something)
a) to be the person in a court of law who is being judged for a crime:
The former president stands accused of lying to the nation’s parliament.
b) if you stand accused of doing something bad or wrong, other people say that you have done it:
The radio station stands accused of racism.
39. stand tall
a) to stand with your back straight and your head raised:
Stand tall with your feet comfortably apart.
b) American English to be proud and feel ready to deal with anything:
We will stand tall and fight for issues of concern to our community.
40. somebody can do something standing on their head informal used to say that someone is able to do something easily:
This is basic stuff. I can do it standing on my head.
41. be stood on its head if something is stood on its head, it becomes the opposite of what it was before:
One area of the business which has been stood on its head is internal communications.
42. not stand on ceremony British English to not worry about the formal rules of polite behaviour:
Come on, Mal. Don’t stand on ceremony here at home.
43. stand somebody a drink/meal etc British English to pay for something as a gift to someone:
Come on, Jack. I’ll stand you a drink if you like.
⇨ make sb’s hair stand on end at ↑hair(8), ⇨ leave somebody/something standing at ↑leave¹(15), ⇨ not have a leg to stand on at ↑leg¹(7), ⇨ stand/serve/hold somebody in good stead at ↑stead(2), ⇨ stand your ground at ↑ground¹(7)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ stand to be on your feet in an upright position: There were no seats, so we had to stand. | When we entered, Stephen was standing by his desk.
▪ be on your feet to be standing, especially for a long time: If you have young kids, you’re on your feet all day. | I’d been on my feet since 7 o'clock and I needed to sit down. | The crowd were all on their feet clapping and calling for more.
▪ get up to stand after you have been sitting or lying down: He got up and turned off the TV. | Mum fell in her flat and was unable to get up.
▪ stand up to stand after you have been sitting, or to be in a standing position: I stood up when she came in and shook her hand. | It’s generally better to do this exercise standing up.
▪ get to your feet written to stand up, especially slowly or when it is difficult for you: My attorney got slowly to his feet, breathing heavily.
▪ rise formal to stand after you have been sitting, especially at a formal event: As the bride entered the cathedral, the congregation rose. | Audience members rose to their feet, cheering and clapping.
stand against somebody/something phrasal verb
to oppose a person, organization, plan, decision etc:
She hadn’t the strength to stand against her aunt’s demands.
There are only a hundred of them standing against an army of 42,000 troops.
stand around phrasal verb
to stand somewhere and not do anything:
We stood around saying goodbye for a while.
stand by phrasal verb
1. to not do anything to help someone or prevent something from happening ⇨ bystander:
I’m not going to stand by and see her hurt.
2. stand by something to keep a promise, agreement etc, or to say that something is still true:
I stand by what I said earlier.
He stood by his convictions.
3. stand by somebody to stay loyal to someone and support them, especially in a difficult situation:
His wife stood by him during his years in prison.
4. to be ready to do something if necessary ⇨ standby:
Rescue crews were standing by in case of a breakdown.
stand by for
Stand by for our Christmas competition.
stand by to do something
Police stood by to arrest any violent fans.
stand down phrasal verb British English
1. to agree to leave your position or to stop trying to be elected, so that someone else can have a chance SYN step down American English
stand down as
He was obliged to stand down as a parliamentary candidate.
2. to leave the ↑witness box in a court of law
3. stand (somebody) down if a soldier stands down or is stood down, he stops working for the day
stand for something phrasal verb
1. if a letter or symbol stands for something, it represents a word or idea, especially as a short form:
What does ATM stand for?
2. to support a particular set of ideas, values, or principles:
It’s hard to tell what the party stands for these days.
3. not stand for something British English to not allow something to continue to happen or someone to do something:
She’s been lying about me, and I won’t stand for it.
stand in phrasal verb
to temporarily do someone else’s job or take their place ⇨ stand-in
stand in for
Would you mind standing in for me for a while?
stand out phrasal verb
1. to be very easy to see or notice:
The outlines of rooftops and chimneys stood out against the pale sky.
She always stood out in a crowd.
I am sure illnesses stand out in all childhood memories.
2. to be much better than other similar people or things ⇨ standout
stand out as
That day still stands out as the greatest day in my life.
stand out from/among/above
Three of the cars we tested stood out among the rest.
3. to rise up from a surface:
The veins stood out on his throat and temples.
stand out against something phrasal verb British English
to be strongly opposed to an idea, plan etc:
We must stand out against bigotry.
stand over somebody phrasal verb
to stand very close behind someone and watch as they work to make sure they do nothing wrong:
I can’t concentrate with him standing over me like that.
stand to phrasal verb British English
to order a soldier to move into a position so that they are ready for action, or to move into this position
stand somebody to
The men have been stood to.
stand up phrasal verb
1. to be on your feet, or to rise to your feet ⇨ stand-up:
I’ve been standing up all day.
Stand up straight and don’t slouch!
Jim stood up stiffly.
2. [always + adverb/preposition] to stay healthy or in good condition in a difficult environment or after a lot of hard use
stand up to
Most of the plants stood up well to the heat.
3. to be proved to be true, correct, useful etc when tested
stand up to/under
The memoirs stand up well to cross-checking with other records.
Without a witness, the charges will never stand up in court (=be successfully proved in a court of law).
4. stand somebody up informal to not meet someone who you have arranged to meet:
I was supposed to go to a concert with Kyle on Friday, but he stood me up.
5. stand up and be counted to make it very clear what you think about something when this is dangerous or might cause trouble for you
stand up for somebody/something phrasal verb
to support or defend a person or idea when they are being attacked:
It’s time we stood up for our rights.
Silvia is capable of standing up for herself.
stand up to somebody/something phrasal verb
to refuse to accept unfair treatment from a person or organization:
He’ll respect you more if you stand up to him.
Cliff couldn’t stand up to bullying.

sit

sit S1 W1 /sɪt/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle sat /sæt/, present participle sitting)
[Language: Old English; Origin: sittan]
1. IN A CHAIR ETC
a) (also be sitting down) [intransitive] to be on a chair or seat, or on the ground, with the top half of your body upright and your weight resting on your ↑buttocks
sit on/in/by etc
I sat on the shore and looked at the sea.
She was sitting in a chair by the fire.
She’s the girl who sits next to me at school.
In the driving seat sat a man of average height.
sit at a desk/table etc (=sit facing it)
Jean sat at the table writing a letter.
sit doing something
They sat sipping their drinks.
We used to sit and listen to her for hours.
b) (also sit down) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to get into a sitting position somewhere after you have been standing up:
He came over and sat beside her.
Sam sat opposite her and accepted a cigarette.
c) (also sit somebody down) [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make someone sit, or help them to sit
sit somebody on/in etc something
I gently led her to the chair and sat her on it.
2. OBJECTS/BUILDINGS ETC [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to be in a particular position or condition
sit on/in etc
a little church sitting on a hillside
The parliament building sits in a large square.
He’s got a computer sitting on his desk, but he doesn’t use it.
My climbing boots were sitting unused in a cupboard.
The house has sat empty for two years.
3. DO NOTHING [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to stay in one place for a long time, especially sitting down, doing nothing useful or helpful:
I spent half the morning sitting in a traffic jam.
Well, I can’t sit here chatting all day.
Are you just going to sit there complaining?
4. COMMITTEE/PARLIAMENT ETC [intransitive] to be a member of a committee, parliament, or other official group
sit in/on
They both sat on the management committee.
He was the first journalist to sit in parliament.
5. MEETING [intransitive] to have a meeting in order to carry out official business:
The council only sits once a month.
The court will sit until all the evidence has been heard.
6. ANIMAL/BIRD [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
a) to be in, or get into, a resting position, with the tail end of the body resting on a surface:
The cat likes to sit on the wall outside the kitchen.
b) Sit! used to tell a dog to sit with the tail end of its body resting on the ground or floor
c) if a bird sits on its eggs, it covers them with its body to make the eggs ↑hatch
7. LOOK AFTER [intransitive + for] to look after a baby or child while its parents are out SYN babysit
8. sit tight spoken
a) to stay where you are and not move:
Just sit tight – I’ll be there in five minutes.
b) to stay in the same situation, and not change your mind and do anything new:
We’re advising all our investors to sit tight till the market improves.
9. be sitting pretty to be in a very good or favourable position:
We’ve paid off the mortgage, so we’re sitting pretty now.
10. sit in judgment (on/over somebody) to give your opinion about whether someone has done something wrong, especially when you have no right to do this:
How can you sit in judgment on somebody you hardly know?
11. not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody) if a situation, plan etc does not sit well with someone, they do not like it:
He had never before been accused of stealing, and it did not sit well with him.
12. sit on the fence to avoid saying which side of an argument you support or what your opinion is about a particular subject:
The weakness of the book is that it sits on the fence on important issues.
13. sit on your hands to delay taking action when you should do something:
Workers are losing their jobs while the government sits on its hands and does nothing.
14. EXAMS [intransitive and transitive] British English to take an examination:
Tracy’s sitting her GCSEs this year.
sit for
They were preparing children to sit for the entry examination.
15. PICTURE/PHOTO [intransitive] to sit somewhere so that you can be painted or photographed
sit for
She sat for (=was painted by) Holman Hunt and Millais.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ sit still (=without moving) Young children find it almost impossible to sit still.
▪ sit quietly (=without talking) Mac sat quietly in the back of the car.
▪ be sitting comfortably She was sitting comfortably on the sofa.
▪ sit up straight/sit upright (=with your back straight) Sit up straight at the table, Maddie.
▪ sit bolt upright (=suddenly sit up very straight, for example because you hear something) Suddenly she sat bolt upright and said, ‘What was that?’
▪ sit cross-legged (=with your legs bent and crossed over in front of you) She sat cross-legged on the grass.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ sit to be resting your weight on your bottom somewhere, or to move into this position: He was sitting in front of the fire. | She sat on the bed and kicked off her shoes. | Who is the man sitting next to Karen?
▪ sit down to sit on a chair, bed, floor etc after you have been standing: I sat down on the sofa. | Come in and sit down.
▪ be seated formal to be sitting in a particular chair or place: John was seated on my left. | There was a man seated behind the desk.
▪ take a seat to sit – used especially when asking someone to sit down: Please take a seat – she will be with you in a minute. | Would the audience please take their seats – the show will begin in five minutes.
▪ sink into something to sit in a comfortable chair and let yourself fall back into it: We switched on the TV and sank into our armchairs.
▪ lounge to sit in a very comfortable relaxed way: They lounged around all day by the pool.
▪ perch to sit on the edge of something: He perched on the arm of the sofa. | My sister was perched (=was sitting) on a high stool.
▪ be slumped to be sitting while leaning against something, especially because you are injured, drunk, or asleep: They found him slumped against the steering wheel.
▪ squat to sit with your knees bent under you, your bottom just off the ground, balancing on your feet: A little boy was squatting at the edge of the pool.
sit around (also sit about British English) phrasal verb
to spend a lot of time sitting and doing nothing very useful:
We sat around for a bit, chatting.
sit back phrasal verb
1. to get into a comfortable position, for example in a chair, and relax:
Sit back and relax – I’ll open a bottle of wine.
2. to relax and make no effort to get involved in something or influence what happens:
Don’t just sit back and wait for new business to come to you.
sit by phrasal verb
to allow something wrong or illegal to happen without doing anything about it:
I’m not going to sit by and watch a man go to prison for something I’ve done.
sit down phrasal verb
1. to be in a sitting position or get into a sitting position:
It was good to be sitting down eating dinner with my family.
Sit down, Amy – you look tired.
sit yourself down
Sit yourself down and have a drink.
2. sit somebody down to make someone sit down or help them to sit down
sit somebody down in/on
I helped her into the room and sat her down in an armchair.
3. sit down and do something to try to solve a problem or deal with something that needs to be done, by giving it all your attention:
The three of us need to sit down and have a talk.
Sit down and work out just what you spend.
sit in phrasal verb
to be present at a meeting but not take an active part in it
sit in on
Would you like to sit in on some of my interviews?
sit in for somebody phrasal verb
to do a job, go to a meeting etc instead of the person who usually does it:
This is Alan James sitting in for Suzy Williams on the mid-morning show.
sit on something phrasal verb informal
to delay dealing with something:
I sent my application about six weeks ago and they’ve just been sitting on it.
sit something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. to stay where you are and do nothing until something finishes, especially something boring or unpleasant:
She had two weeks to sit it out while she waited to hear if she had got the job.
She was prepared to sit out the years of Jack’s jail sentence.
2. to not take part in something, especially a game or dance, when you usually take part:
Johnson sat out the game with a shoulder injury.
sit through something phrasal verb
to attend a meeting, performance etc, and stay until the end, even if it is very long and boring:
I wasn’t the least bit interested in all the speeches I had to sit through.
sit up phrasal verb
1. to be in a sitting position or get into a sitting position after you have been lying down:
He was sitting up in bed, reading his book.
She sat up and reached for her glass.
2. sit somebody up to help someone to sit after they have been lying down
sit somebody up in/on etc
I’ll sit you up on the pillows and you’ll be nice and comfortable.
3. to sit in a chair with your back straight:
Just sit up straight and stop slouching.
4. to stay up very late:
Sometimes we just sit up and watch videos all night.
5. sit up (and take notice) to suddenly start paying attention to someone, because they have done something surprising or impressive:
If Maria succeeded, then everyone would sit up and take notice.
 

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sit down

sit down phrasal verb (see also ↑sit)
1. to be in a sitting position or get into a sitting position:
It was good to be sitting down eating dinner with my family.
Sit down, Amy – you look tired.
sit yourself down
Sit yourself down and have a drink.
2. sit somebody down to make someone sit down or help them to sit down
sit somebody down in/on
I helped her into the room and sat her down in an armchair.
3. sit down and do something to try to solve a problem or deal with something that needs to be done, by giving it all your attention:
The three of us need to sit down and have a talk.
Sit down and work out just what you spend.

get up

get up phrasal verb (see also ↑get)
1. get (somebody) up to get out of your bed after sleeping, or to make someone get out of their bed:
We didn’t get up until lunchtime.
Get me up at seven, would you?
2. to stand up:
He got up and walked over to the window.
3. if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger
4. be got up as/in something British English informal to be dressed in particular clothes:
He arrived at the party got up as Count Dracula.
The men were all got up in suits.
5. get it up informal to get an ↑erection(1)