The Verb "Withstand" in English

Conjugation of "To Withstand"

The verb "withstand" is an irregular verb. (This means that "withstand" does not form its simple past tense or its past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form.)

The Five Forms of "To Withstand"

FormwithstandAlternative Name
Base FormwithstandInfinitive Form
The -S FormwithstandsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormwithstoodSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormwithstandingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formwithstood[no alternative name]

"To Withstand" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "withstand" conjugates in the past, present, and future tenses.

Past Tenses

PersonSimple PastPast Progressive TensePast Perfect TensePast Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • withstood
  • withstood
  • withstood
  • withstood
  • withstood
  • withstood
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was withstanding
  • were withstanding
  • was withstanding
  • were withstanding
  • were withstanding
  • were withstanding
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had withstood
  • had withstood
  • had withstood
  • had withstood
  • had withstood
  • had withstood
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been withstanding
  • had been withstanding
  • had been withstanding
  • had been withstanding
  • had been withstanding
  • had been withstanding
The past perfect progressive tense is for showing that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

Present Tenses

PersonSimple PresentPresent Progressive TensePresent Perfect TensePresent Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • withstand
  • withstand
  • withstands
  • withstand
  • withstand
  • withstand
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am withstanding
  • are withstanding
  • is withstanding
  • are withstanding
  • are withstanding
  • are withstanding
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have withstood
  • have withstood
  • has withstood
  • have withstood
  • have withstood
  • have withstood
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been withstanding
  • have been withstanding
  • has been withstanding
  • have been withstanding
  • have been withstanding
  • have been withstanding
The present perfect progressive tense is for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present (or finished very recently).

Future Tenses

PersonSimple FutureFuture Progressive TenseFuture Perfect TenseFuture Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • will withstand
  • will withstand
  • will withstand
  • will withstand
  • will withstand
  • will withstand
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be withstanding
  • will be withstanding
  • will be withstanding
  • will be withstanding
  • will be withstanding
  • will be withstanding
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have withstood
  • will have withstood
  • will have withstood
  • will have withstood
  • will have withstood
  • will have withstood
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been withstanding
  • will have been withstanding
  • will have been withstanding
  • will have been withstanding
  • will have been withstanding
  • will have been withstanding
The future perfect progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:
author logo

This page was written by Craig Shrives.