sustain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
sustains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sustained,
past participle, past
-
sustaining
present participle
-
to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure.
- Synonyms:
- carry
-
to bear (a burden, charge, etc.).
-
to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding.
- Synonyms:
- bear
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- maintain
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to supply with food, drink, and other necessities of life.
-
to provide for (an institution or the like) by furnishing means or funds.
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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.
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to confirm or corroborate, as a statement.
Further investigation sustained my suspicions.
verb
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to hold up under; withstand
to sustain great provocation
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to undergo (an injury, loss, etc); suffer
to sustain a broken arm
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to maintain or prolong
to sustain a discussion
-
to support physically from below
-
to provide for or give support to, esp by supplying necessities
to sustain one's family
to sustain a charity
-
to keep up the vitality or courage of
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to uphold or affirm the justice or validity of
to sustain a decision
-
to establish the truth of; confirm
noun
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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sustainmentnoun
-
nonsustainingadjective
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sustainableadjective
-
sustainedadjective
-
sustainingadjective
-
unsustainingadjective
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sustainedlyadverb
-
sustaininglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sustainsimple
-
sustainssimple
-
have sustainedperfect
-
has sustainedperfect
-
am sustainingprogressive
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are sustainingprogressive
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is sustainingprogressive
-
have been sustainingperfect progressive
-
has been sustainingperfect progressive
Past
-
sustainedsimple
-
had sustainedperfect
-
was sustainingprogressive
-
were sustainingprogressive
-
had been sustainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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”
Explanation
Sustain means to support something or keep it going. If you get hungry in the mid-afternoon, you might try snacking to sustain your energy through dinner. Beams and rafters sustain a roof — they keep it up. If you sustain a conversation over the course of hours, you keep it going during that time. If you sustain an injury, it means you are injured. If you sustain an interest in what you're studying, it means that you're just as excited about the subject after studying as you are when you began.
Vocabulary lists containing sustain
List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A federal judge has ruled that disappointment over a faceless Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin isn’t enough to sustain a lawsuit against Hershey.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
It’s been a rough stretch for Intel shares as investors wonder how the chip manufacturer will sustain its lofty valuation.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The administration’s explanation became harder to sustain when, in the run-up to this week’s policy meeting, two influential Fed officials kept the door open to holding rates steady.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"A start-up party needs more money than can be provided by membership fees alone, to build and sustain itself and be ready for government," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
But that thought wasn't enough to comfort or sustain me.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
The lake's extreme briny environment sustains algae blooms that attract flamboyances of pink flamingos that thrive in the area.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
In Chandler and Pierre, “Lanterns” has an extraordinary pairing that sustains enough frustration, humor, passion and regret to keep us rapt through the episodes provided for review.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mr. Stevens, known to American audiences for playing Matthew Crawley in “Downton Abbey,” has a supple, sensitive delivery that sustains a sense of epic splendor while bringing out the relatable aspects of Homer’s tale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Once authorized, the facility will be allowed to load nuclear fuel and begin start-up testing to achieve first criticality—the point at which a reactor sustains a controlled nuclear chain reaction.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression, is the same thing.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Franz, the cabin boy, escaped unharmed, while Dova and Morris were among the passengers who sustained only minor injuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The volcano's sustained explosive activity weakened on September 6, although Anak Krakatau continued to rumble.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Economists say that higher global energy prices - if sustained - usually lead to even higher prices for households and weaker economic growth, which translates into lower incomes and wages for people.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Hopeful return: Third baseman Nolan Arenado suffered an injury to his left thumb Tuesday, the same injury he sustained in late August.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
And whether from the fact of sleeping in new surroundings, or from the loss we had sustained, I was unable to sleep again.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Actually attaining and sustaining that growth is what’s difficult.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Carrick has had that natural bounce that a former player is going to get but, long term, sustaining that is tough.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Meanwhile, left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed all of last season after sustaining a knee injury in training camp, was sidelined for much of August because of a flare-up to that same knee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Grealish spent last season with the Toffees, scoring twice and providing six assists in 20 appearances, before sustaining a season-ending foot injury in January.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Blessed be Thou ... for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this day.”
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
