supporting — giving assistance or encouragement; secondary in importance
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: giving assistance or encouragement; secondary in importance
Pronunciation (IPA): /səˈpɔːrtɪŋ/
Example Sentences
- My wife's supporting comments during my diet lasted exactly one day before she brought home pizza.
- The supporting beam in our house is doing a better job than my supporting boyfriend.
- She received an award for Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance.
supporting
ADJECTIVE[/səˈpɔːrtɪŋ/]
giving assistance or encouragement; secondary in importance
Two friends are supporting an injured runner as they cross the finish line together.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'supportare', a compound of 'sub' (from below) and 'portare' (to carry, bear). The original sense was 'to bear up from below' or 'to hold up', which evolved into the modern meaning of providing assistance or sustenance.
Breakdown
sub- (from below) + port- (carry, bear, from Latin portare) + -ing (present participle suffix indicating ongoing action). The root portare developed into the English verb 'support' before the gerund suffix was added.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My wife's supporting comments during my diet lasted exactly one day before she brought home pizza.”
“The supporting beam in our house is doing a better job than my supporting boyfriend.”
“She received an award for Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance.”
“The research team is supporting the new hypothesis with concrete data.”
📚Related Words
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