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- Dictionarysustain/səˈsteɪn/
verb
- 1. strengthen or support physically or mentally: "this thought had sustained him throughout the years" Similar Opposite
- 2. undergo or suffer (something unpleasant, especially an injury): "he sustained severe head injuries" Similar
noun
- 1. an effect or facility on a keyboard or electronic instrument whereby a note can be sustained after the key is released.
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SUSTAIN definition: 1. to cause or allow something to continue for a period of time: 2. to keep alive: 3. to suffer…. Learn more.
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.
to keep up or keep going, as an action or process: to sustain a conversation. Synonyms: maintain. 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.
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.
Definition of sustain verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
If you sustain something, you continue it or maintain it for a period of time. He has sustained his fierce social conscience from young adulthood through old age. American English : sustain / səˈsteɪn /
to cause or allow something to continue for a period of time: The economy looks set to sustain its growth into next year. He seems to find it difficult to sustain relationships with women. US The judge sustained (= accepted) the lawyer's objection. C2. to keep alive:
1. to hold up under; withstand: to sustain great provocation. 2. to undergo (an injury, loss, etc); suffer: to sustain a broken arm. 3. to maintain or prolong: to sustain a discussion.
Sustain definition: To support from below; keep from falling or sinking; prop.
to support someone or something so that they can live or exist: The money he received was hardly enough to sustain a wife and five children. sustain damage/injuries/losses formal. to be injured / damaged, etc.: She later died in hospital of the injuries sustained in the accident.
