YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

sustain

Verb

IPA /səˈsteɪn/

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Meaning in plain English

To keep an activity, condition or level of effort going over time, rather than allowing it to weaken or stop.

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Pronunciation

sustain/səˈsteɪn/

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Examples in context

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Sharing the cooking helps us sustain our weekly family dinners.
Short breaks help me sustain my concentration during long study sessions.

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Sharing the cooking helps us ________ our weekly family dinners.

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sustain — To keep an activity, condition or level of effort going over time, rather than allowing it to weaken or stop.

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To keep an activity, condition or level of effort going over time, rather than allowing it to weaken or stop.

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Word origin

Through Old French from Latin sustinere, meaning to hold up.

Did you know?

Sustained can describe something that continues over time, as in sustained effort or sustained growth.

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