stand on ceremony

verb

To act in a formal, ceremonious, or overly polite manner.

“Please make yourself at home – there's no need to stand on ceremony.”

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Meanings

verbstand on ceremony (third-person singular simple present stands on ceremony, present participle standing on ceremony, simple past and past participle stood on ceremony)

present singular third person stands on ceremony · participle present standing on ceremony · participle past stood on ceremony · past stood on ceremony · alternative stand upon ceremony

  1. idiomaticTo act in a formal, ceremonious, or overly polite manner.

    Please make yourself at home – there's no need to stand on ceremony.

    1 more example

    “Hmp, don’t stand on ceremony, lads. You may as well savor the blessing of my seaside attire!”

    2016, Yuu Kamiya, translated by Daniel Komen, No Game No Life, volume 4

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 拘於禮節 /拘于礼节, 講客套 /讲客套
  • 拘於禮節 /拘于礼节 (jūyú lǐjié)act in a formal manner
  • 講客套 /讲客套 (jiǎng kètào)act in a formal manner
  • 見外 /见外 (jiànwài)act in a formal manner
  • 客氣 /客气 (kèqì)act in a formal manner
  • 拘禮 /拘礼 (jūlǐ)act in a formal manner
Finnish pönöttää, jäykistellä
  • pönöttääact in a formal manner
  • jäykistelläact in a formal manner
  • kruusaillaact in a formal manner
  • kursaillaact in a formal manner
French faire des manières, faire des façons
  • faire des manièresact in a formal manner
  • faire des façonsact in a formal manner
  • faire des âtiesact in a formal manner
Italian fare complimenti
  • fare complimentiact in a formal manner
Japanese 形式張る, 遠慮する
  • 形式張る (keishikibaru)act in a formal manner
  • 遠慮する (enryo-suru)act in a formal manner
Polish ceregielić się, certolić się
  • ceregielić sięact in a formal manner
  • certolić sięact in a formal manner
  • certować sięact in a formal manner
Portuguese fazer cerimônia
  • fazer cerimôniaact in a formal manner
Russian церемо́ниться
  • церемо́ниться (ceremónitʹsja)act in a formal manner
Spanish cumplir con las formalidades
  • cumplir con las formalidadesact in a formal manner
Cite this entry
APA

stand on ceremony. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20ceremony

MLA

“stand on ceremony.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20ceremony. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stand on ceremony,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20ceremony.

Source: stand on ceremony on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.