Vocabulary in context
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Sustain
To provide support or nourishment; to keep something going over time; to endure or undergo under challenging conditions.
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Imagine This
Picture a sturdy bridge that must sustain daily traffic; engineers reinforce it to keep cars crossing safely for decades.
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Sounds Like
suh-STAIN (rhymes with retain)
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Looks Like
Contains the root 'tain' as in 'retain' and resembles 'maintain'.
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Remember This
Sustain comes from Latin sustinere 'to hold up', via Old French sustenir; related forms include sustainment and sustainable growth.
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Other Forms
sustainmentnoun
sustainsverb
sustainedadjective
sustaininggerund/participle
sustainernoun
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Connect With
maintain, uphold, support, endure, persevere
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Note
Sustain implies continuing support or endurance, often under strain, whereas maintain can imply keeping something in good condition without necessarily under pressure. It is typically a transitive verb (you sustain something).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- Charitable donations sustain the school's operations for another year.
- The athlete sustained a serious injury during the match.
Synonyms
maintaincontinuesupportupholdpersevere
Antonyms
ceasediscontinueweaken
Etymology
From Latin sustinere 'to hold up, support' (sub- 'up' + tenere 'to hold'); via Old French sustenir into English.
Mnemonic
Stand Under Strain: remember that to sustain something is to stand under pressure and keep it going.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.
Absolve
verbTo free someone from blame or responsibility; to pardon or exonerate.
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