Wordiyosupport
Definitions
1. To bear the weight of; to hold up or keep from falling. 2. To give help, encouragement, or approval to a person, cause, or plan. 3. To provide money or resources needed for living or operating.
1. 支撑；承受重量 2. 支持；援助；赞成 3. 资助；供养
1. The act of helping, backing, or sustaining someone or something. 2. A thing that bears weight or holds something up.
1. 支持；支援；帮助 2. 支撑物；支架
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedThe prefix sup- (a form of sub-, meaning "under, from below") combines with the root port ("carry"). To support is literally "to carry from below" — to hold something up from underneath. This physical image of bearing weight from beneath extends naturally to emotional backing, financial aid, and general encouragement.
Why It Means This
Support comes from Latin supportāre, meaning "to carry from below." Picture a column holding up a roof — that is the core image. From this concrete sense of physical bearing, the word broadened to mean any form of help that keeps someone or something going: emotional encouragement, financial aid, or political backing. As both a verb and a noun, it is one of the most versatile words in English.
Usage Guide
- Emotional/interpersonal: "support a friend through hard times" (informal-neutral)
- Political/institutional: "support a policy / candidate" (formal-neutral)
- Financial: "support a family / support oneself" (neutral)
- Technical: "This software supports multiple languages" (technical)
- Physical: "pillars that support the bridge" (neutral-formal)
Example Sentences
- 1.
Her family supported her through every challenge.
- 2.
The bridge is supported by four steel pillars.
- 3.
We need public support to make this project succeed.
- 4.
He works two jobs to support his family.
- 5.
The data supports the researcher's hypothesis.
Easily Confused
Support vs. sustain: support means to hold up or back; sustain emphasizes maintaining something over a long period without letting it decline.
Synonym Comparison
- back — informal; to support a person or plan
- assist — more formal; to help with a specific task
- sustain — to maintain over time without decline
- uphold — to defend or maintain a principle or law
- endorse — to publicly declare support, often officially