Added 9 October 2026
withstand
/wɪðˈstænd/ verb
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about withstand at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Resist or confront with resistance.
The politician defied public opinion
- Stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something.
Origin
From Middle English withstanden, from Old English wiþstandan, from Proto-West Germanic *wiþistandan (“to withstand, resist”), equivalent to with- (“against”) + stand. Cognate with Old Frisian withstanda (“to resist”). Compare also Dutch weerstaan (“to withstand, repel”), German widerstehen (“to withstand, resist, defy”), Russian противостоять (protivostojatʹ, “to withstand”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)