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A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.
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{
"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’."
}