322 Another Word for Mainstay? - Mainstay Synonyms & Antonyms

Want to say mainstay differently? Here are other words for mainstay and its similar synonyms and opposite words to say in unique way.

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Meaning of mainstay

The primary meaning of "mainstay" is a person or thing that provides support or stability.

Etymology of mainstay

The word "mainstay" originated in the mid-16th century from the noun "stay" (meaning a rope or cable for supporting or securing something) and the adjective "main" (meaning chief or principal)
Historically, a mainstay referred to a strong rope or cable that supported the mainmast of a ship, and later the term was extended to figurative uses to describe a person or thing that provides support or stability

Synonyms

pillar cornerstone foundation anchor linchpin backbone staple support prop stay buttress underpinning bulwark rampart fortress stronghold mainstay bulwark defense safeguard security stability bedrock keystone axis hub center nucleus core base footing ground undergirding reinforcement anchor pivot hinge crutch staff rod column pier abutment brace shore strut beam girder joist rafter timber pillar post stanchion standard pole mast spar upright vertical prop stay guy shroud halyard sheet tack painter mooring cable rope line chain hawser bollard cleat bit moor fasten secure fix stabilize steady balance equilibrium poise stability constancy permanence fixture main primary principal chief leading head capital cardinal paramount dominant prevalent ruling regnant supreme sovereign reigning governing controlling dominant commanding leading foremost front head first premier top uppermost highest chiefest greatest maximal maximum utmost topmost crowning paramount supreme dominant prevailing ruling regnant sovereign reigning governing controlling principal main primary chief head capital cardinal paramount dominant prevalent ruling regnant supreme sovereign reigning governing controlling staple basic fundamental elementary essential vital necessary required indispensable crucial critical pivotal decisive key central focal axial nuclear core inner internal intrinsic inherent integral constituent component elemental underlying basic radical root foundational initial opening commencing beginning introductory preliminary preparatory prodromal precursory forerunning preceding prior antecedent previous former earlier anterior antecedent preceding prior previous former earlier anterior antecedent preceding prior previous former earlier anterior

Definitions

A person or thing that provides support or stability, especially in a time of trouble or difficulty
* The chief or principal element of something, especially a system or organization

Usage Examples

The company's mainstay product has been its best-selling item for years
* She was the mainstay of the family, providing emotional support during difficult times
* The new policy has become the mainstay of the government's economic strategy

Antonyms

weakness liability burden hindrance obstacle impediment barrier blockage snag hitch drawback disadvantage flaw defect frailty fragility vulnerability susceptibility instability insecurity uncertainty unpredictability unreliability instability shakiness unsteadiness precariousness risk danger peril threat menace hazard jeopardy instability insecurity uncertainty unpredictability unreliability weakness feebleness frailty infirmity decrepitude senility impotence powerlessness helplessness defenselessness vulnerability susceptibility exposure openness proneness liability sensitivity tenderness fragility brittleness delicacy daintiness instability unsteadiness shakiness precariousness risk danger peril threat menace hazard jeopardy