outstand

verb

"outstand" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outstand” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To resist effectually; withstand; sustain without yielding.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outstand · outstand · English

outstand · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for outstand
PropertyValue
Headwordoutstand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “outstand” in English

outstandfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

outstand is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for outstand in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English outstanden, utstanden, equivalent to out- + stand. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutstounde (“to bear, tolerate”), Dutch uitstaan (“to abide, suffer, dree”), German ausstehen (“to stand, endure, abide”), Swedish utstå (“to suffer, endur… The correct English form is outstand, spelled O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To resist effectually; withstand; sustain without yielding.
  2. 2
    To surpass in standing; stand or remain beyond; outstay.
  3. 3
    To project outward from the main body; stand out prominently; be prominent.
  4. 4
    To stand out to sea.
  5. 5
    To remain over; remain untouched, unimpaired, unsettled, uncollected, unpaid, or otherwise undetermined.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how outstand appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Like Solomon's fool, he outstands all reproof.
  2. [T]he Elephas primigenius [woolly mammoth] and some of its associates which were able to outstand the inclemency of that severe period, wandered back over their ancient territory, […]

Etymology

From Middle English outstanden, utstanden, equivalent to out- + stand. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutstounde (“to bear, tolerate”), Dutch uitstaan (“to abide, suffer, dree”), German ausstehen (“to stand, endure, abide”), Swedish utstå (“to suffer, endure, pass through”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "outstand"?
"outstand" is spelled O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D.
What does "outstand" mean?
As a verb, "outstand" means: To resist effectually; withstand; sustain without yielding.
What is the origin of the word "outstand"?
From Middle English outstanden, utstanden, equivalent to out- + stand. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutstounde (“to bear, tolerate”), Dutch uitstaan (“to abide, suffer, dree”), German ausstehen (“to stand, endure, abide”), Swedish utstå (“to suf... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list