What does "sustain" mean?
A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano.
Sustain
/səˈsteɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano.
- Grammar: sustain is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abide, abide with, admit, advocate.
- Useful contrasts: endangered, pulverized limestone, unestablished plan.
- Usage evidence: The bridge couldn't sustain the force of the strong current and collapsed.
How to use "sustain"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sustain" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sustain" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sustain" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sustain" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sustain" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abide" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sustain", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano.
"To call this music bland is to ignore the down-the-drain vocal fade-aways, the extended sax sustains […]"
Verb
- 1 To maintain, or keep in existence. transitive
"The professor had trouble sustaining students’ interest until the end of her lectures."
- 2 undergo (as of injuries and illnesses) wordnet
- 3 To provide for or nourish. transitive
"provisions to sustain an army"
- 4 establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts wordnet
- 5 To encourage or sanction (something). transitive
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 admit as valid wordnet
- 7 To experience or suffer (an injury, etc.). transitive
"The building sustained major damage in the earthquake."
- 8 supply with necessities and support wordnet
- 9 To confirm, prove, or corroborate; to uphold. transitive
"to sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition"
- 10 provide with nourishment wordnet
- 11 To allow, accept, or admit (e.g. an objection or motion) as valid.
- 12 be the physical support of; carry the weight of wordnet
- 13 To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support.
"A foundation sustains the superstructure; an animal sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight."
- 14 lengthen or extend in duration or space wordnet
- 15 To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate.
"When I desir’d their leave that I might pity him, they took from me the use of mine own house, charg’d me on pain of perpetual displeasure neither to speak of him, entreat for him, nor any way sustain him."
Antonyms
Example
"The bridge couldn't sustain the force of the strong current and collapsed."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sustain"?
Common synonyms include: abide, abide with, admit, advocate, affirm, affirm.
How do you use "sustain" in a sentence?
The bridge couldn't sustain the force of the strong current and collapsed.
How do you pronounce "sustain"?
Pronounced /səˈsteɪn/.
Etymology
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).