Meaning & use
standing time
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableinformal
The period you must wait before doing something, especially after cooking or before a process starts.
Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'a' when described: a standing time of 10 minutes.
Patterns
- a standing time of + time
- after a standing time
The recipe says to let the meat rest for a standing time of ten minutes.
After a short standing time, the mixture will thicken.
There is a standing time of five minutes before the test begins.
noununcountable
The amount of time a person spends standing, especially at work.
Grammar: Uncountable; used in health and workplace contexts.
Patterns
- reduce standing time
- long standing time
Nurses often have long standing time during shifts.
The new floor mats are designed to reduce standing time discomfort.
Doctors recommend breaks to limit standing time.
Common combinations
- a standing time of
- The cake needs a standing time of 15 minutes before you cut it.
- after a standing time
- After a standing time of 5 minutes, stir the sauce again.
- reduce standing time
- The company introduced stools to reduce standing time for cashiers.
- long standing time
- Long standing time can cause back pain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- resting time
- Similar, but 'resting time' is more common in cooking and baking; 'standing time' is also used in general waiting contexts.
- waiting time
- More general; it can refer to any waiting, while 'standing time' often suggests you stay in place or the food stands.
Word family
- stand verb
- to be on your feet; also to stay in a place.
Commonly confused: standing time or standing order?
standing time vs standing order
A regular instruction to a bank or supplier, not a period of waiting.
Practice
The recipe says to let the rice sit for a standing time of 10 minutes. What does 'standing time' mean here?
Choose one answer.
'Standing time' in cooking means the resting period after cooking. The other options take 'standing' too literally or confuse it with other meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “standing time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.