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- pronunciation:
- meIn
teIn
- features:
- Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
maintains, maintaining, maintained |
| definition 1: |
When you maintain something, you keep it going or continue it.
Tim's mother has maintained the friendships she made when she was in school. She still talks to those friends every once in a while.Mary tried to maintain her interest in the book her friend gave her, but she decided it was too boring.- synonyms:
- continue
- antonyms:
- alter, change
- similar words:
- keep, preserve, retain, uphold
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| definition 2: |
When you maintain something, you take care of it and keep it in good condition.
Anne worked very hard to maintain her garden.It can be expensive to maintain a boat.The landlord has to do a lot of things to maintain the property he owns. There are always things that need to be fixed.- synonyms:
- keep, take care of
- antonyms:
- neglect
- similar words:
- manage, preserve, retain
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| definition 3: |
If you maintain something, you state it strongly and with a strong belief in the truth of it.
James maintained that his dog did not bite the next door neighbor even though the other neighbor said he saw the dog do it.The police questioned the man many times, but the man still maintained that he was innocent.- synonyms:
- insist
- similar words:
- argue, claim, declare, defend, justify, say
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| related words: |
believe, hold, mind, own, practice, propose, save, service |
| derivations: |
maintainable (adj.), maintainer (n.) |
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