sustain

verb

establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts

admit as valid

be the physical support of

supply with necessities and support

provide with nourishment

undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)

lengthen or extend in duration or space

Roots

subsus- · Latin · under, below teneo-tain · Latin · hold

Synonyms for sustain

maintainv nourishv keepv supportn holdv substantiatev nurturev prolongv corroboratev affirmv upholdv survivev underpinv retainv sufferv perpetuatev undergirdv subsistv withstandv confirmv

Synonyms & related words for sustain

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of sustain — including maintain, nourish, keep, support, hold, substantiate. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to sustain

Explore words related to sustain — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include sustentate, sustainedly, sustinent, unsustained, sustainment, sustentative, upstay, sustention. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for sustain

Common synonyms for sustain include maintain, nourish, keep, support, hold, substantiate, nurture, prolong — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does sustain come from?

The word sustain breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: sus-, from Latin sub (“under, below”); and -tain, from Latin teneo (“hold”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.