sustain

Word family

sus·tain /səˈsteɪn/ W3 AWL verb [transitiveT]

1 make STH continue 使某事繼續CONTINUE/NOT STOP to make something continue to exist or happen for a period of time 保持，維持，使持續 SYN maintain

She found it difficult to sustain the children’s interest.

她發現很難保持孩子們的興趣。

He was incapable of sustaining close relationships with women.

他無法和女人維持親密關系。

the policies necessary to sustain economic growth

維持經濟增長必需的政策

2 suffer 遭受 formalHARM/BE BAD FOR to suffer damage, an injury, or loss of money 遭受，經受

Two of the firefighters sustained serious injuries.

有兩名消防員受了重傷。

Some nearby buildings sustained minor damage.

附近一些建築物遭受到輕微損壞。

The company has sustained heavy financial losses this year.

這家公司今年遭受了嚴重的經濟損失。

3 food/drink 食物/飲料 formal if food or drink sustains a person, animal, or plant, it makes them able to continue living 維持…的生命 → sustenance

They gave me barely enough food to sustain me.

他們給我的食物幾乎都不夠我活命。

4 give strength 給予力量 formalSTRONG PERSON to make someone feel strong and hopeful 使保持強壯；使保持信心[希望]

The thought of seeing her again was all that sustained me.

再見到她的念頭是讓我支撐下去的全部力量。

5 weight 重量 formalSUPPORT/HOLD UP to hold up the weight of something 支撐，承受 SYN support

He leant against her so heavily that she could barely sustain his weight.

他重重地靠在她身上，讓她幾乎撐不住了。

6 idea 意見 formalSUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN to support an idea or argument, or prove that it is right 支持；證明，證實

This argument is difficult to sustain.

這個論點難以證明。

Examples from the Corpus

sustain• Indeed the Customer Service Charter featured below sets out the level of service we strive to sustain.• Similarly in the international arena, an emasculated politics is incapable of sustaining an effective national defense.• It could be suggested that this is one determining factor in whether teachers are able to effect and sustain change.• A series of twitches builds up muscle tension into a sustained contraction.• The program needs sustained government involvement to survive.• More public works construction could help sustain job growth.• The thought of getting home was the only thing that sustained me in the hospital.• The planet cannot sustain more than 6 billion people.• Trees are a renewable resource that when managed properly can sustain our needs indefinitely.• Cook sustained that injury during the win over Basingstoke last month.• This did not prove sufficient to sustain the cocoa economy.• The floor cannot sustain the weight of a piano.

From Longman Business Dictionary

sustainsus·tain /səˈsteɪn/ verb [transitiveT]

1if a company sustains losses or other difficulties, it has them

Like other insurance companies, we havesustained heavylosses.

The record industrysustained a salesslump in the first half.

2to manage to make something continue to exist over a long period of time

The Dow Jones broke above the 2935 level in the early afternoon but was unable to sustain the gains.

Officials predict the electronics industry will be able tosustain growth.

We’re seeing a healthy fall in inflation, but the question is whether it can be sustained.

—sustained adjectiveadj

a period ofsustained economic growth

Origin sustain