sustain

[ suh-steyn ]

/ səˈsteɪn /

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See synonyms for: sustain / sustained / sustaining / sustains on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure.

to bear (a burden, charge, etc.).

to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding.

to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way, as under trial or affliction.

to keep up or keep going, as an action or process: to sustain a conversation.

to supply with food, drink, and other necessities of life.

to provide for (an institution or the like) by furnishing means or funds.

to support (a cause or the like) by aid or approval.

to uphold as valid, just, or correct, as a claim or the person making it: The judge sustained the lawyer's objection.

to confirm or corroborate, as a statement: Further investigation sustained my suspicions.

OTHER WORDS FOR sustain

1 carry.

3 bear.

5 maintain.

See synonyms for sustain on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of sustain

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English suste(i)nen, from Anglo-French sustenir, Old French, from Latin sustinēre “to uphold,” equivalent to sus- sus- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”

OTHER WORDS FROM sustain

sus·tain·a·ble, adjectivesus·tain·ing·ly, adverbsus·tain·ment, nounnon·sus·tain·ing, adjective

un·sus·tain·ing, adjective

Words nearby sustain

Susquehanna, suss, sussed, Sussex, Sussex spaniel, sustain, sustainability, sustainable, sustainable agriculture, sustainably, sustained

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say sustain?

To sustain a claim or an idea is to uphold it as valid, just or correct. How does sustain differ from the synonyms maintain, support, or uphold? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

How to use sustain in a sentence

To be sure, Russia’s economic ability to sustain its expansionism is questionable.
Butterfly Effect: The Next U.S.-Russia Conflict Theater Could be the Mediterranean|Charu Kasturi|September 17, 2020|Ozy
In some countries, officials are concerned not only that Facebook and Google are capturing much of the advertising dollars that have sustained journalism, but also with the types of articles getting shared.
Facebook plans to block users in Australia from sharing news|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 1, 2020|Fortune
The idea is that prices will only face sustained upward pressure when the economy is using all its resources –- including labor.
After $20 trillion in pandemic relief spending, there’s still no sign of inflation. What happened?|Bernhard Warner|August 25, 2020|Fortune
We’re trying to make enough for food, to sustain our households.
Coronavirus Hit Latinos Harder Thanks to a Perfect Storm of Disparities|Maya Srikrishnan|August 12, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Earlier, in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, dinosaurs roamed Antarctica because enhanced volcanic activity, in the absence of those mountain chains, sustained carbon dioxide levels around 1,000 parts per million, compared to 415 ppm today.
How Earth’s Climate Changes Naturally (and Why Things Are Different Now)|Howard Lee|July 21, 2020|Quanta Magazine
They took me in and helped sustain me in the days that followed.
During Advent, Lots of Waiting, But Not Enough Hope|Gene Robinson|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A winning team may pack the stadium, but you need that packed stadium to get top recruits and sustain victories.
How The University of Wisconsin Badgers Are Bucking the Big Ten Ticket Flop|Brian Weidy|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How long can they sustain this momentum without falling victim to the same pitfalls as nearly every other long-running series?
Will Gardner Had to Die So That ‘The Good Wife’ Could Thrive|Jason Lynch|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those were the very ills that you wanted to defeat, not help sustain.
An Ex-Radical's Open Letter to ISIS Fighters: Quit Now While You Can!|Maajid Nawaz|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Duhozanye has the land and the need, but lacks the $300,000 it will cost to build and sustain.
After the Genocide, Rwanda’s Widows Aging Alone|Nina Strochlic|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was therefore prepared to sustain her part in the drama Routemberg was bringing on the tapis.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The ability to sustain the tone for a long time will increase, and with it the power of the muscles exercised.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Whenever a marriage can be set aside for some illegality, and is not, it will sustain her dower on his death.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
Previous to this hour the Girondists had wished to sustain the throne, and merely to surround it with free institutions.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
Those required to sustain life and preserve decency, besides other things to maintain her in her social condition.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for sustain

sustain

/ (səˈsteɪn) /

verb (tr)

to hold up under; withstandto sustain great provocation

to undergo (an injury, loss, etc); sufferto sustain a broken arm

to maintain or prolongto sustain a discussion

to support physically from below

to provide for or give support to, esp by supplying necessitiesto sustain one's family; to sustain a charity

to keep up the vitality or courage of

to uphold or affirm the justice or validity ofto sustain a decision

to establish the truth of; confirm

noun

music the prolongation of a note, by playing technique or electronics

Derived forms of sustain

sustained, adjectivesustainedly (səˈsteɪnɪdlɪ), adverbsustaining, adjectivesustainingly, adverb

sustainment, noun

Word Origin for sustain

C13: via Old French from Latin sustinēre to hold up, from sub- + tenēre to hold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sustain

OTHER WORDS FOR sustain

Origin of sustain

OTHER WORDS FROM sustain

Words nearby sustain

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say sustain?

Words related to sustain

How to use sustain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sustain

Derived forms of sustain

Word Origin for sustain