sustain

play

verb sus·tain \ sə-ˈstān \

Definition of sustain

transitive verb

1 :to give support or relief to

2 :to supply with sustenance :nourish

3 :keep up, prolong

4 :to support the weight of :prop; also :to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)

5 :to buoy up

sustained by hope

6 a :to bear up under

b :suffer, undergo

sustained heavy losses

7 a :to support as true, legal, or just

b :to allow or admit as valid

the court sustained the motion

8 :to support by adequate proof :confirm

testimony that sustains our contention

—

sustainedly

play \-ˈstā-nəd-lē, -ˈstānd-lē\ adverb

—

sustainer

noun

See sustain defined for English-language learners

See sustain defined for kids

sustain was our Word of the Day on 10/10/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of sustain in a Sentence

Hope sustained us during that difficult time.
The roof, unable to sustain the weight of all the snow, collapsed.
The army sustained heavy losses.
He sustained serious injuries in the accident.

Recent Examples of sustain from the Web

When complaints are not sustained, they are tracked under the department’s Early Intervention Program, designed to identify potentially troubled officers.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
Petrochemical plants in the path of the storm may sustain damage, leading to a possible pollution crisis.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s FEMA Director Doesn’t Seem Incompetent," 25 Aug. 2017
Water needs to be about 79 degrees (26 Celsius) or higher to sustain a hurricane, McNoldy said.

— seth borenstein, The Seattle Times, "Harvey’s perfect storm recipe: Warm water, calm air up high," 24 Aug. 2017
The Congressional Budget Office is working on its first 30-year look at the cost to develop, acquire and sustain a new nuclear arsenal.

— anthony capaccio, Bloomberg.com, "Lockheed, Raytheon Win Contracts for New Nuclear Cruise Missile," 23 Aug. 2017
One victim sustained injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

— christine dempsey, courant.com, "Police: One Wounded in Hartford Shooting," 21 Aug. 2017
According to WSFA, man sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound in the 3700 block of Riviera Road.

— william thornton wthornton@al.com, AL.com, "2 dead, 1 wounded in 3 separate Montgomery shooting incidents," 20 Aug. 2017
The judge sustained an objection by the prosecution, but Baez kept after the witness.

— alex french, Esquire, "The Man Who Knows Aaron Hernandez's Secrets," 15 Aug. 2017
As a result, Elda sat empty off and on for years, sustaining damage from vandals including fires and paint poured on the marble floors.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "This Abandoned 1920s Castle Exists Right Here in the U.S.—and It's for Sale," 8 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sustain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sustain

Middle English sustenen, from Anglo-French sustein-, stem of sustenir, from Latin sustinēre to hold up, sustain, from sub-, sus- up + tenēre to hold — more at sub-, thin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

sustain Synonyms

Synonyms

nourish, nurture

Related Words

sate, satiate, satisfy; nurse, suckle; cloy, fill, surfeit; fortify, replenish, strengthen; feed; board, cater, provision, victual

Near Antonyms

decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down; combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist; avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss; abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

sustain

noun

Definition of sustain

:a musical effect that prolongs a note's resonance

utilizing heavy sustain on his guitar
—Bill Dahl

Recent Examples of sustain from the Web

Our hybrid elective-hereditary peoplehood sustains and upholds our ideals.

— nicholas m. gallagher, National Review, "America Needs to Reconcile Its Id and Superego," 11 July 2017
In all, the team started three different quarterbacks throughout the year, had a fourth sustain a season-ending injury during fall camp and a fifth waiting in the wings in case of an emergency.

— tom green, AL.com, "The most important lesson Auburn's Chip Lindsey learned at Arizona State," 29 May 2017

First Known Use of sustain

1972

SUSTAIN Defined for English Language Learners

sustain

play

verb

Definition of sustain for English Language Learners

: to provide what is needed for (something or someone) to exist, continue, etc.
: to hold up the weight of (something)
: to deal with or experience (something bad or unpleasant)

SUSTAIN Defined for Kids

sustain

play

verb sus·tain \ sə-ˈstān \

Definition of sustain for Students

sustained; sustaining

1 :to provide with what is needed

Food sustains life.

2 :to keep up the spirits of

Hope sustained us.

3 :to keep up :prolong

This author's books sustain my interest.

4 :to hold up the weight of

The roof couldn't sustain the weight of the snow.

5 :²experience

The army sustained heavy losses.

6 :to allow or uphold as true, legal, or fair

The judge sustained the motion to dismiss the case.

Law Dictionary

sustain

play

transitive verb sus·tain \ sə-ˈstān \

legal Definition of sustain

1 :to support as true, legal, or just

2 :to allow or uphold as valid

sustain an objection

— compare overrule 1

—

sustainable

adjective

Learn More about sustain

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sustain Spanish Central: Translation of sustain Nglish: Translation of sustain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sustain for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sustain? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

sustain

Definition of sustain

sustainedly

sustainer

Explore M-W

sustain was our Word of the Day on 10/10/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of sustain in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sustain from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sustain

sustain Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

sustain

Definition of sustain

Recent Examples of sustain from the Web

First Known Use of sustain

SUSTAIN Defined for English Language Learners

sustain

Definition of sustain for English Language Learners

SUSTAIN Defined for Kids

sustain

Definition of sustain for Students

Law Dictionary

sustain

legal Definition of sustain

sustainable

Learn More about sustain

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066