English · Word Candidate

sustain

/səˈsteɪn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: sustains · sustaining

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To maintain, or keep in existence.

Verb

The professor had trouble sustaining students’ interest until the end of her lectures.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To provide for or nourish.

Verb

provisions to sustain an army

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano.

Noun

To call this music bland is to ignore the down-the-drain vocal fade-aways, the extended sax sustains […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “sustain” mean?

To maintain, or keep in existence.

Is “sustain” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.