supporting
Bearing the weight
Supporting means providing assistance, reinforcement, or backing.
A supporting wall bears structural weight.
A supporting role in film or theater is secondary to the lead.
Supporting evidence strengthens an argument.
To play a supporting role in someone's life is to help without being central: She was always there in a supporting capacity.
Single portion given
- aidingProviding assistance to
- enablingMaking something feasible
- facilitatingMaking something simpler
- encouragingGiving confidence or hope
nurturing · fostering · sustaining · bolstering · backing · promoting · cooperating · collaborating
Sustaining structural mass
- bracingRefreshingly keen or stimulating
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
- buttressArchitectural wall reinforcement
foundation · girder · beam · truss · column · joist · underpinning · reinforcing
Top competitor, or advocate
- backerFinancial supporter
- allySupportive partner
- defenderOne who guards another
- proponentOne who advocates something
sponsor · patron · endorser · promoter · upholder · protector · campaigner · lobbyist
Strengthening or supporting
- strengtheningIncreasing power or solidity
- fortifyingMaking stronger or sturdier
- underpinningFoundational support beneath
- consolidatingCombining dispersed elements
buttressing · validating · corroborating · substantiating · confirming · affirming · backing up · cementing
Serving to complete
- complementaryMutually supplying lacks
- ancillaryProviding additional support
- secondaryLesser in rank
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
additional · adjunct · subsidiary · reserve · extra · accessory · peripheral · contributory
Performers, throw, or splint
- actorOne who portrays characters
- understudyBackup actor, ready nightly
- sidekickSubordinate adventure partner
- ensembleUnified group or outfit
cameo · deuteragonist · extra · character · background · minor · featured · recurring
helping
Single portion given
- aidingProviding assistance to
- enablingMaking something feasible
- facilitatingMaking something simpler
encouraging · nurturing · fostering · sustaining · bolstering · backing · promoting · cooperating · collaborating · contributing
load-bearing
Sustaining structural mass
- bracingRefreshingly keen or stimulating
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
buttress · foundation · girder · beam · truss · column · joist · underpinning · reinforcing · shoring
champion
Top competitor, or advocate
proponent · sponsor · patron · endorser · promoter · upholder · protector · campaigner · lobbyist · spokesperson
bolstering
Strengthening or supporting
- strengtheningIncreasing power or solidity
- fortifyingMaking stronger or sturdier
- underpinningFoundational support beneath
consolidating · buttressing · validating · corroborating · substantiating · confirming · affirming · backing up · cementing · solidifying
supplementary
Serving to complete
- complementaryMutually supplying lacks
- ancillaryProviding additional support
- secondaryLesser in rank
backup · additional · adjunct · subsidiary · reserve · extra · accessory · peripheral · contributory · collateral
cast
Performers, throw, or splint
- actorOne who portrays characters
- understudyBackup actor, ready nightly
- sidekickSubordinate adventure partner
ensemble · cameo · deuteragonist · extra · character · background · minor · featured · recurring · guest
- encouragementencourage, encouraging, praises, hang in there, keep going
- friendship actssharing, helping, listening, forgiving, trusting
- helping actionshelping, aiding, assisting, enabling, facilitating
- helping outhelping, assisting, aiding, pitching in, lending a hand
- interactiontalking, sharing, helping, meeting, joining
- gentle handlingcradling, cushioning, padding, wrapping, swaddling
supportingcollapsing
Falling inward suddenly
crushing · nonbearing · load-bearing · undermining · destabilizing
supportingopposing
Standing against something
against · hindering · undermining · resisting · obstructing
supportingcontradicting
Asserting the opposite
disproving · refuting · undermining · countering · negating
- supporting roleMinor character in production
- supporting actorNon-lead role performer
- supporting actressNon-lead female performer
- best supporting actorPrize for secondary role
- supportive environmentsSettings that encourage thriving
- best supporting
supportive, unsupportive, supportiveness, supporting actor, supporting actress