standby

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standby

/ˈstændˌbaɪ̯/
[ˈstændˌbaɪ̯]
/ˈsteə̯ndˌbaɪ̯/ Canada, US
/ˈstɛə̯ndˌbaɪ̯/ Canada, US
/ˈstɛːndˌbɑ̟ɪ̯/ Australia
/ˌstændˈbaɪ̯/
[ˌstændˈbaɪ̯]
/ˌsteə̯ndˈbaɪ̯/ Canada, US
/ˌstɛə̯ndˈbaɪ̯/ Canada, US
/ˌstɛːndˈbɑ̟ɪ̯/ Australia

Where it comes from

Deverbal from stand by.

noun standbys · stand-by

countable, uncountable A state of readiness without immediate involvement; remaining in preparation for (a sudden or unforeseen event or situation). The troops were on standby in case of an attack.
countable, uncountable A replacement kept on standby. During three weeks of the run, I was performing with walking pneumonia, but I had no choice other than to perform because we didn't have the budget for stand-bys.
countable, uncountable Sleep mode.
countable, uncountable Waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
countable, uncountable Something that is standard, well-tested, or frequently used. That recipe is an old standby, and she keeps the ingredients around in case of unexpected guests.

Similar: at the ready

verb standbys · standbying · standbyed · stand-by

nonstandard, proscribed To wait briefly, as for additional communication by radio or telephone; alternative form of stand by. Standby while I check that for you.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: secondary, understudy, wait, waiting, sufferance, suspense, residual, suspension, relief, stand-by, reserve, fallback, fall-back, withdrawal, out, set-aside

noun

Similar: at the ready

Translations

Every language

noun state of readiness without immediate involvement

Deutsch	Bereitschaft
Ελληνικά	αναμονή anamoní
Română	stare standby, standby, așteptare
Русский	гото́вность gotóvnostʹ, состоя́ние гото́вности sostojánije gotóvnosti

noun sleep mode of an electrical device

Français	veille

noun waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out

Русский	ожидание ožidanije

noun something that is standard, well-tested, or frequently used

Deutsch	verlässliche und bewährte Sache
Ελληνικά	εφεδρικός efedrikós

verb to wait briefly

Deutsch	dranbleiben, kurz warten, abwarten, in Wartestellung bleiben

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MLA

"standby." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/standby. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

standby. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/standby

Chicago

"standby." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/standby.

BibTeX

@misc{standby_2026,
  title = {standby},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/standby},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}