sustain
verb
Simple meaning
To keep something going over time.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
suhstaynSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
səsˈteɪn
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To provide for or nourish.
transitive
To maintain, or keep in existence.
Provide with nourishment
“We sustained ourselves on bread and water.”
transitive
To confirm, prove, or corroborate; to uphold.
To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support.
transitive
To encourage or sanction (something).
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To provide for or nourish.
Used this way, sustain is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use sustain
- “We sustained ourselves on bread and water.”verb
- “We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Capable of being sustained.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A program without a commercial sponsor.
A pedal on a piano that lifts the dampers from the strings and so allows them to continue vibrating.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “sustain” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.