withstand

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To resist or endure (something) successfully.
  2. To oppose (something) forcefully.

Pronunciation

/wɪðˈstænd/ /wɪθˈstænd/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Pvanp7-withstand.wav en-us-withstand.ogg

Word forms

withstand withstands withstanding withstood

Etymology

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”).

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