sustain

1 of 2

verb

sus·​tain sə-ˈstān 

sustained; sustaining; sustains

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

sə-ˈstā-nəd-lē 

-ˈstānd-lē

adverb

sustainer noun

sustain

2 of 2

noun

: a musical effect that prolongs a note's resonance

utilizing heavy sustain on his guitar

—Bill Dahl

Did you know?

The word sustain is both handy and hardy. Its use has been sustained since the days of Middle English (its ultimate source is Latin sus-, meaning "up," plus tenēre, meaning "to hold") by its utility across a variety of consequential subjects, from environmental protections to legal proceedings to medical reports. The word is so prevalent and so varied in its application, in fact, that it enjoys sustained high ranking as one of our top lookups—evidence of our readers’ sustained commitment to, well, sustaining themselves with information about words.

Synonyms

Verb

• nourish
• nurture

Examples of sustain in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Verb

Shah: In the short term, sustained tariffs could trigger drug shortages, particularly for generic and specialty compounds. —Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Shipman said two university public safety officers sustained injuries as protesters forced their way into the building. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

Noun

But around 100,000 bpd of propane demand will be at risk if the trade war sustains and PDH operators are unable to pivot, with the U.S. dominating supply, Rystad added. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

The frontman proved expressive and animated despite serious hearing issues that sidelined him for a few scary years, and a voice that, understandably, doesn’t always have the sustain and power of earlier days. —Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sustain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

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Kids Definition

sustain

verb

sus·​tain

sə-ˈstān

1

: to give support or relief to

2

: to supply with nourishment

food sustains our bodies

3

: to keep up : prolong

a book that will sustain your interest

4

: to support the weight of : carry

5

: to keep up the spirits of

hope sustained the people

6

a

: to bear up under : endure

b

: experience entry 2, undergo

sustained a serious wound

7

a

: to support as true, legal, or just

b

: to allow or admit as right

the court sustained the motion

8

: prove sense 2a, confirm

sustainable

-ˈstā-nə-bəl

adjective

sustainer noun

Legal Definition

sustain

transitive verb

sus·​tain sə-ˈstān 

1

: to support as true, legal, or just

2

: to allow or uphold as valid

sustain an objection

compare overrule sense 1

sustainable adjective