sustain

1 of 2

verb

sus·tain sə-ˈstān

sustained; sustaining; sustains

Synonyms of sustain next

transitive verb

: to give support or relief to

: to supply with sustenance : nourish

: keep up, prolong

: to support the weight of : prop

also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)

: to buoy up

sustained by hope

: to bear up under

: suffer, undergo

sustained heavy losses

: to support as true, legal, or just

: to allow or admit as valid

the court sustained the motion

: 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.

Example Sentences

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

The Air Force will need to figure out how large a physical footprint AirCompany’s technology would require to sustain, say, a flight of four F-16s each flying two sorties per day. —

Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 Mar. 2023 As a result, many sustain painful foot injuries and leg wounds after being shackled to concrete for long periods of time. —

Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 28 Feb. 2023 There, hydrothermal vents—openings in the sea floor where heat from deeper within can escape—could supply sufficient energy and nutrients to sustain life. —

Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2023 Of those 81, nearly 70% have contributed to downstream waterways that are too contaminated to sustain aquatic life or to safely swim or fish in, the report said. —

Dorany Pinedastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023 The Protect step then locks in these benefits with shea butter, keeping the moisture levels strong while also providing cover in order to cultivate healthy skin around body parts that are working hard to sustain life. —

Dallas News, 18 Jan. 2023 As a barn is a place to keep life-sustaining grain or animals, this building serves as a place to protect the women who must choose whether to sustain the life of the community, or break free and forge a different path. —

Karen M. Peterson, Variety, 12 Jan. 2023 So any oxidants—a class of chemicals required for life—lurking on the comet could theoretically help sustain any potential life in the sheltered waters. —

Jamie Carter, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2023 The reasoning is similar to why Earth has the conditions to sustain life, says Barnes. —

Sophia Chen, WIRED, 9 Dec. 2022

Noun

There's a button for a sustain pedal, and the virtual keys are touch sensitive. —

Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2011 The heat wave, fueled by a high-pressure system over California and Nevada that was moving north, was forecast to strike southwest Oregon hardest Tuesday and sustain above-normal high temperatures in the area of the fire for most of the week. —

Dennis Romero, NBC News, 30 Aug. 2022 But the artistry of Pandora alone cannot a series sustain. —

Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 17 Dec. 2022 Global streamers do not need much persuasion to bring big shoots to Brazil or sustain or grow in production there. —

Douglas Wilson, Variety, 2 Dec. 2022 High-quality tutoring like this is expensive and potentially difficult to staff and sustain. —

oregonlive, 23 Nov. 2022 This feeding helps the lawn sustain a deep green color through the winter. —

Chris Mckeown, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2022 Birdwatching depends on humans protecting environments that encourage and sustain birdlife. —

Time, 14 Nov. 2022 However, wide receiver Tre Mosley said Thorne’s physical limitations aren’t the biggest concerns for an offense that has struggled to run the ball and sustain drives for much of the season. —

Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 11 Oct. 2022 See More

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.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of sustain was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century