sus·tain (s -st n )tr.v. sus·tained, sus·tain·ing, sus·tains 1. To keep in existence; maintain. 2. To supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for. 3. To support from below; keep from falling or sinking; prop. 4. To support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage. 5. To bear up under; withstand: can't sustain the blistering heat. 6. To experience or suffer: sustained a fatal injury. 7. To affirm the validity of: The judge has sustained the prosecutor's objection. 8. To prove or corroborate; confirm. 9. To keep up (a joke or assumed role, for example) competently.
[Middle English sustenen, from Old French sustenir, from Latin sustin re : sub-, from below; see sub- + tenre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]
sus·tain a·bili·ty n. sus·taina·ble adj. sus·tainer n. sus·tainment n. |
sustain Verb 1. to maintain or continue for a period of time: I managed to sustain a conversation 2. to keep up the strength or energy of (someone): one mouthful of water to sustain him, the merest drop of comfort to sustain me 3. to suffer (an injury or loss): he sustained a spinal injury 4. to support (something) from below 5. to support or agree with (a decision or statement): objection sustained [Latin sustinere to hold up] sustained adj
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | sustain - lengthen or extend in duration or space; "We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible"; "prolong the treatment of the patient"; "keep up the good work"keep on, retain, continue, keep - allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings" preserve, uphold, carry on, continue, bear on - keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue the family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions" | | 2. | sustain - undergo (as of injuries and illnesses); "She suffered a fracture in the accident"; "He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars"; "She got a bruise on her leg"; "He got his arm broken in the scuffle"cramp - suffer from sudden painful contraction of a muscle have - suffer from; be ill with; "She has arthritis" experience, have, receive, get - go through (mental or physical states or experiences); "get an idea"; "experience vertigo"; "get nauseous"; "receive injuries"; "have a feeling" | | 3. | sustain - provide with nourishment; "We sustained ourselves on bread and water"; "This kind of food is not nourishing for young children"cater, ply, provide, supply - give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" carry - be able to feed; "This land will carry ten cows to the acre" | | 4. | sustain - supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep"reseed - maintain by seeding without human intervention; "Some plants reseed themselves indefinitely" have, have got, hold - have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense; "She has $1,000 in the bank"; "He has got two beautiful daughters"; "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard" carry - keep up with financial support; "The Federal Government carried the province for many years" | | 5. | sustain - be the physical support of; carry the weight of; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?"scaffold - provide with a scaffold for support; "scaffold the building before painting it" block - support, secure, or raise with a block; "block a plate for printing"; "block the wheels of a car" carry - bear or be able to bear the weight, pressure,or responsibility of; "His efforts carried the entire project"; "How many credits is this student carrying?"; "We carry a very large mortgage" chock - support on chocks; "chock the boat" buoy, buoy up - keep afloat; "The life vest buoyed him up" pole - support on poles; "pole climbing plants like beans" bracket - support with brackets; "bracket bookshelves" prop, prop up, shore up, shore - support by placing against something solid or rigid; "shore and buttress an old building" truss - support structurally; "truss the roofs"; "trussed bridges" brace - support by bracing | | 6. | sustain - admit as valid; "The court sustained the motion"acknowledge, admit - declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of; "He admitted his errors"; "She acknowledged that she might have forgotten" | | 7. | sustain - establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant"back up, back - establish as valid or genuine; "Can you back up your claims?" vouch - give supporting evidence; "He vouched his words by his deeds" verify - confirm the truth of; "Please verify that the doors are closed"; "verify a claim" shew, show, demonstrate, prove, establish - establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment; "The experiment demonstrated the instability of the compound"; "The mathematician showed the validity of the conjecture" document - support or supply with references; "Can you document your claims?" validate - prove valid; show or confirm the validity of something |
sustain verb 4. keep alive, nourish, provide for  Translations
|
|
sustain [səsˈteɪn] vt → sostener, apoyar (= suffer); sufrir, padecer
sustain [səsˈteɪn] vt → soutenir; supporter; corroborer;
sustain [səsˈteɪn] vt (continue) → aufrechterhalten;
sustain [səsˈteɪn] vt → sostenere; sopportare (= suffer); subire
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
sustain
