ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sustaining

adj. · n. · v.
US //səˈsteɪnɪŋ// UK //səstˈeɪnɪŋ// sus·tain·ing
  1. 1 providing support or energy (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    providing the strength, food, or support you need to keep going.

    providing necessary support, nourishment, or maintenance of a state or process.

    Example

    A sustaining breakfast of porridge and fruit helped him stay full until lunch.

    Example

    The community provided a sustaining network of emotional support for the family during the difficult months following the accident.

    Usage

    Often used to describe food, hope, or social systems that prevent failure or exhaustion.
  2. 2 the act of maintaining (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    the act or process of keeping something alive or continuing.

    the action or process of upholding, supporting, or maintaining a condition or entity.

    Example

    The sustaining of these old traditions is very important to the local people.

    Example

    The long-term sustaining of the ecosystem requires a delicate balance between human intervention and natural processes.

    Usage

    Functions as a gerund; often followed by the preposition 'of'.
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  1. 3 continuing or supporting (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the -ing form of 'sustain', used to show an ongoing action of supporting or suffering.

    the present participle of 'sustain', used in continuous tenses or as a participial adjective to indicate ongoing maintenance or the experiencing of injury.

    Example

    The company is sustaining heavy losses this year due to the poor economy.

    Example

    By sustaining a high level of pressure throughout the match, the team eventually forced their opponents into a critical defensive error.
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