maintain

maintain — verb

1. to make something stay at a fixed level, amount, or quality over time, so that i

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to make something stay at a fixed level, amount, or quality over time, so that it does not drop or weaken — for example, keeping up prices, standards, friendships, or a positive attitude.

例句

The government is working hard to maintain economic growth despite the global slowdown.

Wren has maintained a close friendship with Tamar since they were in primary school.

同義詞
  • keep up

    more informal and common in everyday speech; 'keep up your good work'

  • sustain

    suggests supporting something through difficulty; more formal and less frequent in daily conversation

  • preserve

    emphasises protecting something from change or damage, often for future generations

反義詞
  • neglect

    to fail to give proper attention to something, causing it to weaken

  • abandon

    to stop trying to keep something going

文法句型

maintain + noun phrase (level, standard, relationship, etc.)

用法筆記

Commonly used with nouns expressing levels, rates, or qualities — such as growth, relationship, standard, balance, or contact. The focus is on preventing decline, not on creating something new.

常見錯誤

❌I want to keep my English level.
✅I want to maintain my English level.
💡'keep' is more general; 'maintain' stresses active effort to prevent the level from dropping.
❌She sustained a close friendship for years.
✅She maintained a close friendship for years.
💡'sustain' often implies enduring hardship; 'maintain' is the usual word for keeping friendships going.

2. to regularly check, clean, or repair something such as a vehicle, building, or r

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to regularly check, clean, or repair something such as a vehicle, building, or road so that it stays in good working order and does not break down — for example, servicing a car or painting the window frames before they rot.

例句

Brandon spends every weekend maintaining his vintage car so it runs smoothly.

The city employs a team of workers to maintain the public parks and gardens.

同義詞
  • service

    more specific to vehicles and machines; implies a routine check by a professional

  • look after

    more informal; can apply to objects, places, or people

  • care for

    suggests attention and effort to keep something in good shape

反義詞
  • neglect

    to fail to look after something, leading to its deterioration

  • damage

    to physically harm something so it no longer works properly

文法句型

maintain + noun phrase (car, building, road, machine, etc.)

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive (be maintained) when focusing on the object's condition. Contrast with repair: you maintain something to keep it from breaking; you repair it after it has already broken.

常見錯誤

❌I need to repair my car every month to keep it safe.
✅I need to maintain my car every month to keep it safe.
💡'repair' means fixing something broken; 'maintain' means preventing it from breaking.
❌They need to keep the road well.
✅They need to maintain the road well.
💡'keep a road' is ungrammatical in this sense; use 'maintain' or 'keep in good condition'.

3. to repeatedly state a claim as factual, particularly when other people disagree,

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to repeatedly state a claim as factual, particularly when other people disagree, doubt it, or present evidence against it — for example, a defendant insisting that they did not commit a crime.

例句

The suspect has always maintained that he was nowhere near the crime scene that night.

maintain + that-clause for insisting on a claim despite doubt

Yumi maintains that regular exercise is the most effective way to reduce stress.

同義詞
  • assert

    more direct and forceful; often used in formal argument or debate

  • insist

    emphasises repeated statements in the face of disagreement

  • claim

    weaker than 'maintain'; simply states something without implying firm belief

反義詞
  • deny

    to state that something is not true, the opposite of asserting it

  • concede

    to admit that something is true after previously resisting it

文法句型

maintain + that-clause

maintain + noun phrase (innocence, position)

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person or organisation whose claim is disputed or doubted. The most common structure is maintain + that-clause. When followed by a direct object (maintain + noun phrase), the noun is usually a belief or position such as innocence, view, or stance.

常見錯誤

❌He maintained to be innocent.
✅He maintained that he was innocent.
💡'maintain' cannot be followed by a to-infinitive; use a that-clause instead.
❌She maintained going to the party.
✅She maintained that she went to the party.
💡'maintain' is not followed by a gerund; use a that-clause.

4. to supply someone with the money, food, housing, and other things they need to l

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

to supply someone with the money, food, housing, and other things they need to live, especially for months or years at a time — for example, a person earning enough to cover the costs of raising children or supporting elderly parents.

例句

After their father died, Eshe had to work two jobs to maintain her younger siblings.

The charity was founded to maintain families who lost their homes in the disaster.

同義詞
  • support

    more common in everyday English; can refer to both financial and emotional care

  • provide for

    slightly more formal; focuses on supplying basic needs

  • keep

    informal and less precise; 'He works hard to keep his family.'

反義詞
  • abandon

    to leave someone without support

  • neglect

    to fail to provide for someone's basic needs

文法句型

maintain + noun phrase (family, parents, dependants)

用法筆記

Object is usually a person or group of people (family, children, parents, dependants). Less common than 'support' in everyday speech; 'maintain' in this sense has a more formal or written tone. Not used for one-time gifts — it implies an ongoing obligation.

常見錯誤

❌He needs enough money to support his family and maintain himself.' (redundant)
✅He needs enough money to support his family.
💡'support' already covers the idea; using both sounds unnatural.
❌She maintains her friend with a birthday gift.
✅She maintains her elderly mother by covering her rent.
💡'maintain' implies ongoing provision of essentials, not one-off gifts.