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suspend definition

sus·pend (sə spend′)

transitive verb

  1. to bar or exclude as a penalty from an office, school, position, etc., usually for a specified time; debar
  2. to cause to cease or become inoperative for a time; stop temporarily to suspend train service, to suspend a rule
    1. to defer or hold back (judgment), as until more is known
    2. to hold in abeyance or defer action on (a sentence, etc.)
  4. to hang by a support from above so as to allow free movement
  5. to hold or keep (dust in the air, particles in a liquid, etc.) in suspension
  6. Now Rare to keep in suspense, wonder, etc.
  7. Music to continue (a note) into the following chord

Etymology: ME suspenden < OFr suspendre < L suspendere, to hang up < sus-, for sub-, sub- + pendere, to hang: see pend

intransitive verb

  1. to stop temporarily
  2. to withhold payment of debts or obligations, as through inability to pay

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

suspend Synonyms

suspend

v.

  1. To debar

    reject, exclude, omit; see bar 2, eject 1, refuse.

  2. To cease temporarily

    postpone, defer, put off, discontinue, adjourn, interrupt, shelve, pigeonhole, table, put aside, set aside, hold off, delay, procrastinate, waive, take a break, recess, prorogue, dissolve, break off, cease, halt, check, stay, stave off, intermit, lay over, keep pending, hold in abeyance, keep in abeyance, put on hold, put on the back burner, put on ice, put on the shelf, back-burner*.

    Antonyms continue*, carry on*, expedite. *

  3. To hang

    dangle, swing, wave; see hang 2.

  4. To cause to hang

    hang up, swing, hook up; see hang 1. See syn. study at exclude.

suspend denotes the breaking off of proceedings, privileges, etc. for a time, sometimes for such an indefinite time as to suggest cancellation to suspend train service, to suspend a sentence; postpone implies the intentional delaying of an action or event until a later time; adjourn is applied to the action of a deliberative body in bringing a session to a close, with the intention of resuming at a later time; prorogue applies esp. to the formal dismissal of the British Parliament by the crown, subject to reassembly; to dissolve an assembly is to terminate it as constituted, so that an election must be held to reconstitute it


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

suspend Usage Examples

Object

  • disbelief: You don't have to suspend disbelief, everybody knows what it is.

Preposition: at

  • pm: The Sitting was, by leave, suspended at 12.30 pm.

Adjective complement

  • due: The research was eventually suspended due to lack of funding from Rolls-Royce.

Modifying Another Word

  • temporarily: After a caution a player is temporarily suspended from the match for a period of ten minutes.

Subject

  • wire: Can be mounted directly on a wall or suspended by wire, chain or shackle with no need to use optional brackets.

Present participle complement

  • pend: Further strike action is suspended pending consultation with members via their branches.

Preposition: in

  • mid-air: Many did not like the sitting position or swinging when suspended in mid-air.

Preposition: from

  • ceiling: A wicker hanging chair suspended from the ceiling was bizarrely about 6ft foot up in the air.

Preposition: for

  • duration: Three parking bays next to the plant room will be suspended for the duration of the contract.

Preposition: by

  • wire: Can be mounted directly on a wall or suspended by wire, chain or shackle with no need to use optional brackets.
suspend usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

suspend quotes

Ican't act.Ihaveneveracted. And Ishall neveract.What I do is suspend myaudience's power of judgement till I've finished.

-Hardwicke, Sir Cedric

Cowardice, as distinguished from panic, isalmost always simply a lack of ability to suspend the functioning of the imagination.

-Hemingway, Ernest Millar

suspend quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"suspend." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/suspend>

APA Style

suspend. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/suspend

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