suspend

American  

[suh-spend] / səˈspɛnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to hang by attachment to something above.

   to suspend a chandelier from the ceiling.

2. to attach so as to allow free movement.

   to suspend a door on a hinge.

3. to keep from falling, sinking, forming a deposit, etc., as if by hanging.

   to suspend solid particles in a liquid.

4. to hold or keep undetermined; refrain from forming or concluding definitely.

   to suspend one's judgment.

5. to defer or postpone.

   to suspend sentence on a convicted person.

6. to cause to cease or bring to a stop or stay, usually for a time.

   to suspend payment.

   Synonyms:

   discontinue, intermit

7. to cause to cease for a time from operation or effect, as a law, rule, privilege, service, or the like.

   to suspend ferry service.

8. to debar, usually for a limited time, from the exercise of an office or function or the enjoyment of a privilege.

   The student was suspended from school.

9. to keep in a mood or feeling of expectation or incompleteness; keep waiting in suspense.

   Finish the story; don't suspend us in midair.

10. Music. to prolong (a note or tone) into the next chord.

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verb (used without object)

1. to come to a stop, usually temporarily; cease from operation for a time.

2. to stop payment; be unable to meet financial obligations.

3. to hang or be suspended, as from another object.

   The chandelier suspends from the ceiling.

4. to be suspended, as in a liquid, gas, etc.

suspend British  

/ səˈspɛnd /

verb

1. (tr) to hang from above so as to permit free movement

2. (tr; passive) to cause to remain floating or hanging

   a cloud of smoke was suspended over the town

3. (tr) to render inoperative or cause to cease, esp temporarily

   to suspend interest payments

4. (tr) to hold in abeyance; postpone action on

   to suspend a decision

5. (tr) to debar temporarily from privilege, office, etc, as a punishment

6. (tr) chem to cause (particles) to be held in suspension in a fluid

7. (tr) music to continue (a note) until the next chord is sounded, with which it usually forms a dissonance See suspension

8. (intr) to cease payment, as from incapacity to meet financial obligations

9. obsolete (tr) to put or keep in a state of anxiety or wonder

10. obsolete (intr) to be attached from above

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Usage

What does suspend mean? Suspend most commonly means to cause to stop, to bring to a stop, to withhold, or to postpone, as in The bank has suspended payments or All activities have been suspended until further notice. It also commonly means to hang something by attaching it to something else, especially with ropes or cables, as in We need to suspend the banner from the ceiling. More specifically, suspend can mean to officially punish someone, such as an employee, student, or athlete, so that they are not allowed to participate in an activity for a certain period of time, as in He was suspended for five games for fighting. A person punished in this way is said to be suspended. The noun form suspension can be used for most senses of suspend to refer to an instance or the process of suspending.

Related Words

See interrupt.

Other Word Forms

• presuspend verb (used with object)
• resuspend verb
• suspendibility noun
• suspendible adjective
• unsuspendible adjective

Etymology

Origin of suspend

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English suspenden, from Latin suspendere “to hang up,” equivalent to sus- sus- + pendere (transitive) “to hang” ( see pend, suspense)

Explanation

You can use the verb suspend any time you need to stop something. Whether it’s your judgment, a rule, or bus service, when you suspend it, you temporarily bring it to a halt. Suspend often describes stopping an activity for a while. A winter storm, for example, may suspend air travel until weather conditions improve. Suspend also works in a more figurative sense, such as when you suspend your doubt in order to give someone or something a fair chance. A student who is suspended is temporarily forbidden from attending class. Don't confuse this with expel, which means he or she may never return.

Example Sentences

After inflation peaks in April, the Bank of Canada said it projects a deceleration to 2.5% in June, in part due to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to temporarily suspend a fuel-excise tax.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Researchers suspend tiny plastic particles in a plasma-filled vacuum chamber to simulate more complex systems.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

The board has the power to levy fines up to $5,000 and, in the most extreme cases, suspend or revoke doctors’ licenses.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

Rising fuel costs, averaging $2.98 per gallon in Q1, led Alaska Air to suspend full-year guidance due to market uncertainty.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they’d rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• adjourn
• arrest
• bar
• cease
• defer
• discontinue
• eject
• exclude
• file
• halt
• interrupt
• postpone
• put off
• reject
• rule out
• shelve
• stay
• waive
• withhold