supported
/səˈpɔːt/ (bre, ipa) · [səpˈɔrtɪd] /səˈpɔːrt/ (ame, ipa) · [səpˈɔrtɪd] /sə-ˈpȯrt How to pronounce support (audio)/ (ame, mw)
supported — verb
- supportedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- supporteds3rd person singular
- supporteding-ing form
- supportededpast simple
1. to publicly agree with a person, idea, or plan, and act in ways that help them s
to publicly agree with a person, idea, or plan, and act in ways that help them succeed
Most teachers at Lincoln High supported the new homework policy.
support + noun (policy/idea)
Layla supported her cousin's decision to leave the family business.
The bakery owner supported the candidate by putting a sign in her window.
Several parents supported the principal's plan for a longer lunch break.
Kwame openly supported the proposal during the village council meeting.
- oppose
direct contrast: publicly disagree
文法句型
support + noun (person/idea/policy)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about public agreement and advocacy; sense 3 is about practical or emotional help to a person in difficulty.
常見錯誤
2. to want a particular sports team or player to win, often by going to their games
to want a particular sports team or player to win, often by going to their games or wearing their colours
Henrik has supported Liverpool since his father took him to a match in 1998.
support + team name (long-term fan)
Most students at the university support the local basketball team.
Valentina supported the Argentine players throughout the tournament.
My grandmother has supported the same baseball team for forty years.
Imran painted his face red and supported his country at the cricket final.
文法句型
support + sports team / player
用法筆記
Subject is usually a fan; object is a team, club, player, or national side. More common in British than American English (US speakers often say 'root for').
3. to give someone comfort, encouragement, or practical help when they are facing a
to give someone comfort, encouragement, or practical help when they are facing a hard time
Beatriz supported her younger brother through the long divorce of their parents.
support + person + 'through' + difficult event
The school counsellor supported students after the bus accident last spring.
Hiro stayed up late and supported his classmate before the medical-school exam.
Neighbours supported the family by bringing meals every evening for a month.
Roya felt deeply supported by her colleagues after her mother passed away.
- comfort
narrower — focused on relieving sadness, not practical help
- be there for
informal; emphasises emotional availability
- stand by
stresses loyalty during a person's hard moment
- abandon
leave someone without help when they need it
文法句型
support + person (through difficult time)
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('felt supported', 'be well supported'). Subject is usually a person or community; object is a person going through difficulty. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about helping someone personally, not endorsing an idea.
4. to earn or give the money another person needs for food, clothes, and a place to
to earn or give the money another person needs for food, clothes, and a place to live
Constanza supported her three children by working two jobs in Buenos Aires.
support + dependents + 'by' + means
After his wife's illness, Stefan supported the whole household on a teacher's salary.
Many young workers in Manila still support elderly parents back in their home village.
Mizuki supported her younger sister through four years of art school.
The court ordered the father to support his children until they finished college.
- provide for
almost interchangeable in this sense; very common
- maintain
formal; older usage for sustained financial care of dependents
- look after
broader — includes daily care, not only money
文法句型
support + dependent (family/child)
用法筆記
Object is typically a family member or dependent. Object often comes with a time frame ('through college', 'until they were 18'). Distinguish from sense 5 (paying for an activity or habit).
5. to give the money required to keep an activity, project, or habit going
to give the money required to keep an activity, project, or habit going
Local businesses supported the youth football club for over ten years.
support + club / project (long-term sponsorship)
Andrew worked extra weekend shifts to support his expensive photography habit.
support + 'habit' (often negative connotation)
Several wineries in Bordeaux support an annual music festival each summer.
The charity supported a free breakfast program at twelve elementary schools.
Saira's parents could no longer support her gambling, so they cut off her allowance.
文法句型
support + activity / habit
用法筆記
Object is an activity, programme, project, or habit (NOT a person — that is sense 4). With 'habit' the connotation is often negative (drug habit, gambling habit). Distinguish from sense 1 (agree with an idea) — sense 5 is specifically about money.
6. to give the conditions, such as food, water, or warmth, that allow something to
to give the conditions, such as food, water, or warmth, that allow something to live, grow, or keep going
The lake supports a large population of migratory birds each spring.
support + population (ecological)
Volcanic soil in this region supports unusually rich vineyard growth.
Without rainfall, the dry savannah cannot support so many cattle.
Scientists believe this moon may have once supported simple forms of life.
Tropical rainforests support an enormous variety of insects and plants.
文法句型
support + life / population / growth
用法筆記
Subject is typically an environment, ecosystem, or natural resource; object is life, a population, or growth. Frequently appears in scientific and ecological writing.
7. to bear the weight of something so that it does not fall, usually by holding it
to bear the weight of something so that it does not fall, usually by holding it from below
Four marble columns support the heavy roof of the temple in Athens.
support + heavy structure (architecture)
Yael placed a small cushion to support her grandmother's neck during the journey.
Steel cables support the bridge across the Hudson River.
The nurse asked Joshua to support his father's elbow while they walked to the car.
An old wooden post still supports the corner of the barn after eighty years.
文法句型
support + object physically
用法筆記
Object is a physical thing whose weight needs holding (roof, ceiling, body part, structure). Often the subject is itself a structural element (column, beam, cable).
8. to give facts, evidence, or reasons that help to show that a statement, theory,
to give facts, evidence, or reasons that help to show that a statement, theory, or idea is correct
Recent fossil discoveries support the theory that whales evolved from land mammals.
support + theory (science writing)
The survey results support what teachers had been saying for years.
Two independent witnesses supported Matthew's account of the accident.
Hospital records support the patient's claim that she arrived before midnight.
The new study does not support the idea that coffee causes heart disease.
- back up
informal equivalent
- corroborate
formal; especially for witnesses or documents
- confirm
stronger — leaves no doubt, whereas 'support' allows partial evidence
- contradict
evidence that points the opposite way
- refute
formal; prove a claim wrong
文法句型
support + theory / claim / idea
用法筆記
Subject is usually evidence, data, research, or a witness; object is a claim, theory, or account. Very common in academic and journalistic writing.
常見錯誤
9. to accept that something is happening and let it continue, without trying to sto
to accept that something is happening and let it continue, without trying to stop it
The board would not support any decision that broke company policy.
support + decision / action (governance)
Local residents refused to support the closing of the neighbourhood library.
Many teachers will not support cheating during exams, even by their best students.
Ava could not support the way her uncle was treating his employees.
The new manager refuses to support the long lunch breaks her team enjoys.
- condone
formal; usually negated ('not condone')
- go along with
informal; accept without strong objection
- tolerate
broader — allows but does not approve
- object to
actively voice disagreement
文法句型
support + behaviour / situation
用法筆記
Almost always appears in negative or refusal contexts ('cannot support', 'would not support', 'refuse to support'). Object is an action, behaviour, or decision the speaker disapproves of. Distinguish from sense 1 (agree with an idea): sense 9 is specifically about tolerating, not endorsing.
supported — noun
1. the public approval and active backing that a person, group, or plan receives
the public approval and active backing that a person, group, or plan receives
The mayor lost much of her support after the corruption scandal broke last winter.
lose support: common collocation
Public support for the new tax dropped by twenty percent in three months.
support for + noun (polling pattern)
The candidate received strong support from younger voters in coastal cities.
Without union support, the strike would not have lasted three weeks.
Mira built her support among local farmers by visiting every village in the district.
- backing
informal equivalent
- approval
narrower — about formal acceptance
- endorsement
formal, often public and named
- opposition
public disagreement
文法句型
support for + noun
用法筆記
Uncountable. Often modified by adjectives of degree: 'strong support', 'widespread support', 'limited support'. Pairs with the preposition 'for' (support FOR a policy).
常見錯誤
2. kindness, comfort, or practical help given to someone who is having a hard time
kindness, comfort, or practical help given to someone who is having a hard time
Brooke offered her cousin emotional support during the difficult court case.
emotional support: very high-frequency collocation
The new mothers' group provides support for women in their first year after birth.
provide support for + people
Justin received a lot of support from his teammates after the injury.
The hospital offers practical support to families staying with sick children overnight.
Online communities can be a real source of support for people living alone.
- help
broader and more general
- comfort
narrower; specifically about easing sadness
- encouragement
focused on building confidence rather than easing pain
文法句型
emotional / practical support
用法筆記
Uncountable. Common adjective collocations: 'emotional support', 'practical support', 'moral support'. Distinguish from sense 1 (public agreement) — this sense is about personal care for someone in difficulty.
3. money given to another person to help pay for daily needs such as food, clothes,
money given to another person to help pay for daily needs such as food, clothes, and housing
Élise sends monthly support to her elderly grandmother in Marseille.
monthly / regular support to + dependent
The court ordered him to pay child support of eight hundred dollars per month.
pay child support: legal collocation
Many students rely on parental support during their first year at university.
Government support helped the small business survive the long lockdown.
Arjun lost his job and could no longer send support to his family in Mumbai.
- maintenance
formal/legal; British term for child or spousal support
- alimony
narrower; specifically money paid after divorce
- allowance
regular sum, often from parents to children
文法句型
financial / child support
用法筆記
Uncountable. Often appears with specifying adjectives: 'child support', 'financial support', 'government support'. Distinguish from sense 2 (emotional help): sense 3 is specifically money for living costs.
4. an object such as a column, beam, or post that bears the weight of something to
an object such as a column, beam, or post that bears the weight of something to keep it from falling
Workers added steel supports under the old wooden bridge before reopening it.
structural supports: engineering context
The tomato plants need a tall support to keep them off the wet soil.
Dario carved a wooden support for the heavy shelf above his desk.
The climber attached a metal support to the cliff face before stepping onto it.
Two stone supports under the gate had cracked during the recent earthquake.
文法句型
a support for + object
用法筆記
Countable in this sense (unlike senses 1–3, 5, 6). Refers to a concrete physical object (column, post, brace, prop).
5. a device worn around an injured or weak joint or limb to keep it stable while it
a device worn around an injured or weak joint or limb to keep it stable while it heals
After the skiing accident, Kasia wore a knee support for nine weeks.
knee / back / wrist support: medical collocation
The pharmacy sells back supports for office workers with poor posture.
Doctors recommended a neck support after Paul's car accident last March.
Tennis players often use a wrist support to prevent injury during matches.
Ayana put on her ankle support before every basketball practice.
文法句型
wear a support
用法筆記
Countable. Almost always preceded by the body part it is designed for: 'knee support', 'back support', 'wrist support'.
6. facts or evidence that help to prove that a statement or theory is true
facts or evidence that help to prove that a statement or theory is true
The lawyer offered phone records in support of her client's alibi.
in support of + claim: legal/academic collocation
There is little scientific support for the claim that vitamin C cures colds.
scientific support for + claim
The historian cited two letters in support of his theory about the queen.
Nala's essay needed more support from real research, not just her opinions.
Independent test results gave clear support for the company's safety claims.
- evidence
near-synonym; more concrete and standalone
- backing
informal equivalent
- corroboration
formal; emphasises confirmation by an additional source
文法句型
in support of + claim
用法筆記
Uncountable. Pairs with the phrase 'in support of' (offered X in support of Y). Distinguish from sense 1 (public agreement): sense 6 is specifically about evidence backing a factual claim.