stand on end

verb

To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

“The horrifying tales he told made my hair stand on end.”

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Meanings

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

present singular third person stands on end · participle present standing on end · participle past stood on end · past stood on end

  1. To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

    The horrifying tales he told made my hair stand on end.

  2. To place on its end. (of an object)

    At one time a "standard test" for carriage riding was to stand a pencil on end on the compartment floor, or to measure how long it was possible to stand on one leg without touching the corridor walls; [...].

    1961 February, R. K. Evans, “The role of research on British Railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 93

Translations

Catalan esborronar, arrufar-se
  • esborronarto stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
  • arrufar-seto stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
German zu Berge stehen
  • zu Berge stehento stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
Hungarian égnek áll
  • égnek állto stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
Japanese よだつ
  • よだつ (yodatsu)to stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
Latin horreō, inhorreō
  • horreōto stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
  • inhorreōto stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
Māori moihi, mōihiihi
  • moihito stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
  • mōihiihito stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
  • torotikato stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
Polish stawać dęba, stanąć dęba
  • stawać dębato stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
  • stanąć dębato stand erect, bristle, especially from fear
Cite this entry
APA

stand on end. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20end

MLA

“stand on end.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20end. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stand on end,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20end.

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