Withstand

/wɪðˈstænd/ verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To resist or endure (something) successfully. transitive

    "Tests showed that a tin ceiling could withstand a temperature of 1,369° for an hour and 10 minutes, whereas plaster collapsed in 12 minutes."

  2. 2
    stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something wordnet
  3. 3
    To oppose (something) forcefully.
  4. 4
    resist or confront with resistance wordnet

Example

More examples

"Robots can withstand dangerous conditions."

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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