sustain
To keep something happening or working for a period of time.
To cause something to continue for a period of time without stopping.
To give what is needed for someone or something to live or stay alive.
To provide the necessities that allow someone or something to live or continue existing.
To get and deal with something bad, like an injury or loss.
To experience and withstand something bad, such as an injury, loss, or defeat.
To say officially that a rule, decision, or claim is correct and will stand.
To decide officially that a claim, objection, or decision is valid and will be accepted.
- Base: sustain
- 3rd Person Singular: sustains
- Present Participle: sustaining
- Past: sustained
sustain an injury
1Receive and endure an injury
To get hurt and have to deal with it.
- He sustained an injury during training and missed the match.
- Several passengers sustained injuries in the accident.
sustain an objection
1Accept legal objection as valid
In court, to say that a lawyer's protest is correct and will be allowed.
- Objection sustained, please rephrase your question.
- The judge sustained the objection before the witness could answer.
sustain life
1Provide for survival of life
To give what is needed so people, animals, or plants can live.
- The planet's atmosphere can sustain life.
- Water is necessary to sustain life on Earth.