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sustain

v. · n.
US //səˈsteɪn// UK //səstˈeɪn// sus·tain
  1. 1 to maintain (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    to keep something going or continuing for a long time.

    to maintain or keep something in existence over a prolonged period. Transitive; often used in environmental or economic contexts.

    Example

    The company found it difficult to sustain such high levels of growth.

    Example

    The ecosystem can no longer sustain the current rate of resource extraction without risking total collapse.
  2. 2 to support life (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    to provide the food, water, or energy needed to stay alive.

    to provide for or nourish a living thing; to supply the necessities of life.

    Example

    There is not enough oxygen on the planet to sustain human life.

    Example

    The small oasis provides just enough water and vegetation to sustain the local wildlife during the harshest months of the dry season.
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  1. 3 to suffer an injury (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Medicine

    to experience something bad, like an injury or a financial loss.

    to experience, undergo, or suffer something adverse, typically an injury or a loss. Transitive; common in medical and legal reporting.

    Example

    The driver sustained minor injuries in the car accident.

    Example

    The business sustained significant financial losses during the first quarter due to the unexpected shift in global trade policies.
  2. 4 to uphold a claim (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

    to agree that a legal objection or a claim is valid and correct.

    to allow, accept, or admit a legal objection or motion as valid. Used by a judge in a courtroom setting.

    Example

    The judge said 'Sustained' after the lawyer made a valid objection.

    Example

    The court chose to sustain the objection, ruling that the witness's testimony was based on hearsay rather than direct observation.
  3. 5 musical duration (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Music

    the way a musical note continues to sound instead of stopping quickly.

    the quality of a musical note being held or maintained; also refers to the mechanism, such as a piano pedal, that enables this.

    Example

    The guitar has a beautiful sustain that lasts for several seconds.

    Example

    The pianist used the sustain pedal to blend the chords together, creating a rich and atmospheric soundscape.
    • staccato
Origin

From Middle English susteinen, sustenen, from Old French sustenir (French soutenir), from Latin sustineō, sustinēre (“to uphold”), from sub- (“from below, up”) + teneō (“hold”, verb).

Word family

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