stand pat
To play one's hand without drawing any more cardsTo play one's hand without drawing any more cards.
» She plans to stand pat and not negotiate.
Meaning
3 senses(intransitive)To play one's hand without drawing any more cards.
(intransitive)To stop hitting; to declare one's hand as final.
After getting a hand of 20, the player stood pat.
(idiomatic)To resist changes.
- refuse to abandon one's opinion or belief
Examples
1 sentencesShe plans to stand pat and not negotiate.
Origin
Probably originally a poker phrase, with "pat" equaling "optimal", meaning that drawing moProbably originally a poker phrase, with "pat" equaling "optimal", meaning that drawing more cards is unnecessary. Later the phrase came to be employed in other spheres. "Stand pat" was actively used in U.S. political campaigns of the 1900s, quickly gaining a sense of "being reactionary, resistant to dramatic changes in policy". Moreover, a noun, standpatter, was coined to denote such politicians.
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Forms
stands pat, standing pat, stood pat, stood pat| Base form | stand pat · to stand pat |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | stands pat |
| Present participle | standing pat |
| Past simple | stood pat |
| Past participle | stood pat |
irregular · Lesson
Synonyms
5 synonyms- refuse to abandon one's opinion or belief:stand firmhold firmstand fast
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle