Stand up meaning in English

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Definition

to stand up: to rise, to get on one's feet, to change one's posture, to put oneself upright, to assume a standing position verb

Please stand up. Please get on your feet, rise

to stand up for (oneself): to defend, to support, to fend for, to stick up for (oneself) verbidiom

You should stand up for yourself instead of letting people mock you.

Examples

"Bruno : Stand up Jean, and take off your hat, it's time for the national anthem."
"Listen, I can't even stand up."
"Stand up, clean yourself off and go fill out the form!"
"Your comrade Edward is ready to stand up and fight the oppressors!"

Exercise 1

Susie wants to know where Delavigne stands on the issue of subcontracting.

Which of the following sentences uses a similar idiom in the same sense as the text?

Does anyone know what the initials U.N. stand for?

He looks much taller when he stands up straight.

I can't stand people who talk with their mouths full of food.

I am not sure where the president stands on social security.

I don't know

Susie wants to know where Delavigne stands on the issue of subcontracting.

Which of the following sentences uses a similar idiom in the same sense as the text?

Does anyone know what the initials U.N. stand for?

The idiom "to stand for" is different than to "know where someone stands" on something. "U.N." is an acronym for the United Nations. Therefore we can ask, "what does "U.N." stand for?" if we want to know what the initials signify.

He looks much taller when he stands up straight.

Although "to stand up" indicates the physical act of standing, this literal meaning does not carry the same meaning as the idiom in the text.

I can't stand people who talk with their mouths full of food.

To "be unable to stand something" means that someone cannot tolerate, or has "little patience" for something. This use of the term "stand" is different than the way Susie uses the term in her e-mail.

I am not sure where the president stands on social security.

To know "where someone stands" means to understand their position or opinion on a topic. In this case, the speaker is unsure about the president's opinion on social security. In Susie's e-mail, she asks Bruno about Delavigne's position on subcontracting.

Excerpt: Hopefully he will get back to me soon, so that I will know where Delavigne stands on these issues.

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