# stand on ceremony

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stand-on-ceremony
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To act in a formal, ceremonious, or overly polite manner.

## Examples

- Please do not stand on ceremony at my house.
- We are just having a casual dinner, so please do not stand on ceremony.
- Although the guests were high-ranking officials, the host insisted they should not stand on ceremony during the private retreat.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.