{
    "term": "sustain",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "sustain",
            "heSheIt": "sustains"
        },
        "pastSimple": "sustained",
        "pastParticiple": "sustained",
        "ingForm": "sustaining"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to provide enough of what somebody/something needs in order to live or exist",
            "sensetop": "sustain somebody/something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Which planets can sustain life?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I only had a little chocolate to sustain me on my walk."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The love and support of his family sustained him during his time in prison."
                },
                {
                    "text": "When she lost her job they could no longer sustain their expensive lifestyle."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The soil was so badly eroded it could no longer sustain crop production."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to make something continue for some time without becoming less",
            "sensetop": "sustain something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She managed to sustain everyone's interest until the end of her speech."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Kangaroos can sustain high speeds over long distances."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the sustaining pedal of a piano *(= that allows a note to continue sounding for a long time)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This relationship would be very difficult to sustain."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["no longer", "barely", "indefinitely"],
                "verb + sustain": ["be able to", "can", "be unable to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to experience something bad",
            "sensetop": "sustain something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **sustain damage/an injury/a defeat**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company **sustained losses** of millions of dollars."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "suffer",
            "topics": ["Health problems"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to provide evidence to support an opinion, a theory, etc.",
            "sensetop": "sustain something",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The evidence is not detailed enough to sustain his argument."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "uphold",
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to support a weight without breaking or falling",
            "sensetop": "sustain something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The ice will not sustain your weight."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "bear"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to decide that a claim, etc. is true or legally valid",
            "sensetop": "sustain something",
            "labels": "(law)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The court sustained his claim that the contract was illegal."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Objection sustained**! (= said by a judge when a lawyer makes an in court)"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "uphold"
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪn/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustain__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪnz/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustains__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪnd/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustained__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustaining__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪn/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustain__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪnz/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustains__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪnd/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustained__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səˈsteɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "su/sustain/sustaining__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French soustenir, from Latin sustinere, from sub- ‘from below’ + tenere ‘hold’."
}