Support vs. Feed — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on December 1, 2023
Support means to hold up or reinforce, while Feed refers to giving food or supplying input.
Difference Between Support and Feed
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Support primarily implies bearing the weight or holding something up. It's used in various contexts, like physically supporting a structure or morally supporting a friend. Feed, on the other hand, primarily means to provide food or nourishment. Animals feed on various diets, and humans feed them based on their needs. However, the term isn't limited to just nutrition; it also refers to supplying or inputting something.
The concept of Support extends beyond the physical realm. People can support one another emotionally, financially, or even ideologically. It symbolizes a sense of backing or endorsement. Feed, while having a primary association with nutrition, also finds its place in the technological world, as in feeding data into a system. It's more about the transfer or provision of resources or information.
It's interesting to note how diverse the usage of Support can be. For instance, pillars support a building, a person can support a cause, or a system can support a software application. Feed, while versatile in its own right, is more about provision. Birds feed their young, a person can feed information into a computer, or a news application can provide users with a news feed.
In essence, Support is foundational; it's about being the backbone, the sustenance, the encouragement. It's a force or presence that ensures stability or continuation. Feed, conversely, is about provision, be it in the form of food, data, or information. It ensures that something or someone receives what's necessary for growth, function, or continuation.
Comparison Chart
Primary Purpose
To hold up or reinforce
To provide food or supply input
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Contextual Usage
Physical, emotional, financial
Nutritional, technological
Associated Actions
Bearing, endorsing, backing
Providing, transferring, inputting
Nature
Foundational, sustaining
Provisional, supplying
Relational Aspect
Often implies a mutual relationship
Generally a one-way provision
Compare with Definitions
Support
To bear the weight or hold up.
The beams support the roof.
Feed
To produce or provide something as a result.
The leak fed rumors in the community.
Support
To endorse or approve openly.
I support her decision to study abroad.
Feed
To input data or information.
He feeds the data into the computer.
Support
To sustain or keep going.
The donations support our charity's mission.
Feed
A constant supply of information or data.
I follow several news feeds online.
Support
To bear the weight of, especially from below; keep from falling, sinking, or slipping
Pillars support the roof.
Feed
To give food to; supply with nourishment
Feed the children.
Support
To bear or hold up (an amount of weight)
The bridge supports 10 tons.
Feed
To provide as food or nourishment
Fed fish to the cat.
Support
To keep from weakening or failing; give confidence or comfort to
The letter supported him in his grief.
Feed
To serve as food for
The turkey is large enough to feed a dozen.
Support
To keep from falling in value, as by government purchases
A program to support the price of wheat.
Feed
To produce food for
The valley feeds an entire county.
Support
To provide for or maintain by supplying with money or necessities
The homeless shelter is supported solely by donations.
Feed
To provide for consumption, utilization, or operation
Feed logs to a fire.
Feed data into a computer.
Support
To furnish corroborating evidence for
New facts supported her story.
Feed
To supply with something essential for growth, maintenance, or operation
Melting snow feeds the reservoirs.
Support
To aid the cause, policy, or interests of
Supported her in her election campaign.
Feed
To transmit (media content) by means of a communications network or satellite, as for processing or distribution.
Support
To argue in favor of; advocate
Supported lower taxes.
Feed
To minister to; gratify
Fed their appetite for the morbid.
Support
To have an enthusiastic interest in (a sports team).
Feed
To support or promote; encourage
His unexplained absences fed our suspicions.
Support
To endure; tolerate
"At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult" (Samuel Johnson).
Feed
To supply as a cue
Feed lines to an actor.
Support
To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).
Feed
(Sports) To pass a ball or puck to (a teammate), especially to set up a scoring chance.
Support
To offer help or advice regarding (a product or service).
Feed
To eat. Used of animals
Pigs feeding at a trough.
Support
(Computers) To be compatible with (a program)
That operating system does not support most new applications.
Feed
To be nourished or supported
An ego that feeds on flattery.
Support
The act of supporting
Our candidate needs your support.
Feed
To move steadily, as into a machine for processing.
Support
The state of being supported
The candidate's support has been overwhelming.
Feed
To be channeled; flow
This road feeds into the freeway.
Support
One that supports
How many supports does the bridge have?.
Feed
Food for animals, especially livestock.
Support
The provision of money or the necessities of life
Child support.
Feed
The amount of such food given at one time.
Support
Help or advice offered to those encountering difficulties with a product or service.
Feed
(Informal) A meal, especially a large one
We had a great feed at the restaurant.
Support
(transitive) To keep from falling.
Don’t move that beam! It supports the whole platform.
Feed
The act of providing food, especially to an animal
Food given at one feed.
Support
(transitive) To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they support it?
Feed
Material or an amount of material supplied, as to a machine or furnace.
Support
(transitive) To back a cause, party, etc., mentally or with concrete aid.
I support France in the World Cup.
Feed
The act of supplying such material.
Support
(transitive) To help, particularly financially.
The government supports the arts in several ways.
Feed
An apparatus that supplies material to a machine.
Support
To verify; to make good; to substantiate; to establish; to sustain.
The testimony is not sufficient to support the charges.
The evidence will not support the statements or allegations.
Feed
The aperture through which such material enters a machine.
Support
(transitive) To serve, as in a customer-oriented mindset; to give support to.
The IT Department supports the research organization, but not the sales force.
I don't make decisions, but I support those who do.
Feed
The transmission or conveyance of published content, as by satellite, on the internet, or by broadcast over a network of stations.
Support
(transitive) To be designed (said of machinery, electronics, or computers, or their parts, accessories, peripherals, or programming) to function compatibly with or provide the capacity for.
Early personal computers did not support voice-recognition hardware or software.
Feed
A signal or program made by means of such transmission
The satellite feed was garbled due to sunspot activity.
Support
(transitive) To be accountable for, or involved with, but not responsible for.
I support the administrative activities of the executive branch of the organization.
Feed
(Sports) A pass of a ball or puck, especially to set up a scoring chance.
Support
(archaic) To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; to tolerate.
Feed
(transitive) To give (someone or something) food to eat.
Feed the dog every evening.
Support
To assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain.
To support the character of King Lear
Feed
(intransitive) To eat usually of animals.
Spiders feed on gnats and flies.
Support
Something which supports.
Don't move that beam! It's a support for the whole platform.
Feed
(ditransitive) To give (someone or something) to (someone or something else) as food.
Feed the fish to the dolphins.
Support
Financial or other help.
The government provides support to the arts in several ways.
Feed
(transitive) To give to a machine to be processed.
Feed the paper gently into the document shredder.
We got interesting results after feeding the computer with the new data.
Support
Answers to questions and resolution of problems regarding something sold.
Sure they sell the product, but do they provide support?
Feed
(figurative) To satisfy, gratify, or minister to (a sense, taste, desire, etc.).
Support
(mathematics) in relation to a function, the set of points where the function is not zero, or the closure of that set.
Feed
To supply with something.
Springs feed ponds with water.
Support
(fuzzy set theory) A set whose elements are at least partially included in a given fuzzy set (i.e., whose grade of membership in that fuzzy set is strictly greater than zero).
If the membership function of a fuzzy set is continuous, then that fuzzy set's support is an open set.
Feed
To graze; to cause to be cropped by feeding, as herbage by cattle.
If grain is too forward in autumn, feed it with sheep.
Support
Evidence.
The new research provides further support for our theory.
Feed
To pass to.
Support
(computing) Compatibility and functionality for a given product or feature.
This game has no mouse support.
Feed
To create the environment where another phonological rule can apply; to be applied before another rule.
Nasalization feeds raising.
Support
An actor playing a subordinate part with a star.
Feed
To create the syntactic environment in which another syntactic rule is applied; to be applied before another syntactic rule.
Support
An accompaniment in music.
Feed
Simple past tense and past participle of fee
Support
(gymnastics) support position
Feed
(uncountable) Food given to (especially herbivorous) non-human animals.
They sell feed, riding helmets, and everything else for horses.
Support
(structural analysis) Horizontal, vertical or rotational support of structures: movable, hinged, fixed. en
Feed
Something supplied continuously.
A satellite feed
Support
To bear by being under; to keep from falling; to uphold; to sustain, in a literal or physical sense; to prop up; to bear the weight of; as, a pillar supports a structure; an abutment supports an arch; the trunk of a tree supports the branches.
Feed
The part of a machine that supplies the material to be operated upon.
The paper feed of a printer
Support
To endure without being overcome, exhausted, or changed in character; to sustain; as, to support pain, distress, or misfortunes.
This fierce demeanor and his insolenceThe patience of a god could not support.
Feed
The forward motion of the material fed into a machine.
Support
To keep from failing or sinking; to solace under affictive circumstances; to assist; to encourage; to defend; as, to support the courage or spirits.
Feed
A meal.
Support
To assume and carry successfully, as the part of an actor; to represent or act; to sustain; as, to support the character of King Lear.
Feed
(countable) A gathering to eat, especially in large quantities.
They held a crab feed on the beach.
Support
To furnish with the means of sustenance or livelihood; to maintain; to provide for; as, to support a family; to support the ministers of the gospel.
Feed
(Internet) Encapsulated online content, such as news or a blog, that can be subscribed to.
I've subscribed to the feeds of my favourite blogs, so I can find out when new posts are added without having to visit those sites.
Support
To carry on; to enable to continue; to maintain; as, to support a war or a contest; to support an argument or a debate.
Feed
A straight man who delivers lines to the comedian during a performance.
Support
To verify; to make good; to substantiate; to establish; to sustain; as, the testimony is not sufficient to support the charges; the evidence will not support the statements or allegations.
To urge such arguments, as though they were sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy.
Feed
To give food to; to supply with nourishment; to satisfy the physical huger of.
If thine enemy hunger, feed him.
Unreasonable creatures feed their young.
Support
To vindicate; to maintain; to defend successfully; as, to be able to support one's own cause.
Feed
To satisfy; gratify or minister to, as any sense, talent, taste, or desire.
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
Feeding him with the hope of liberty.
Support
To uphold by aid or countenance; to aid; to help; to back up; as, to support a friend or a party; to support the present administration.
Wherefore, bold pleasant,Darest thou support a published traitor?
Feed
To fill the wants of; to supply with that which is used or wasted; as, springs feed ponds; the hopper feeds the mill; to feed a furnace with coal.
Support
A attend as an honorary assistant; as, a chairman supported by a vice chairman; O'Connell left the prison, supported by his two sons.
Feed
To nourish, in a general sense; to foster, strengthen, develop, and guard.
Thou shalt feed my people Israel.
Mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed.
Support
The act, state, or operation of supporting, upholding, or sustaining.
Feed
To graze; to cause to be cropped by feeding, as herbage by cattle; as, if grain is too forward in autumn, feed it with sheep.
Once in three years feed your mowing lands.
Support
That which upholds, sustains, or keeps from falling, as a prop, a pillar, or a foundation of any kind.
Feed
To give for food, especially to animals; to furnish for consumption; as, to feed out turnips to the cows; to feed water to a steam boiler.
Support
That which maintains or preserves from being overcome, falling, yielding, sinking, giving way, or the like; subsistence; maintenance; assistance; reënforcement; as, he gave his family a good support, the support of national credit; the assaulting column had the support of a battery.
Feed
To supply (the material to be operated upon) to a machine; as, to feed paper to a printing press.
Support
The activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities;
His support kept the family together
They gave him emotional support during difficult times
Feed
To take food; to eat.
Her kid . . . which I afterwards killed because it would not feed.
Support
Aiding the cause or policy or interests of;
The president no longer had the support of his own party
They developed a scheme of mutual support
Feed
To subject by eating; to satisfy the appetite; to feed one's self (upon something); to prey; - with on or upon.
Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon.
Support
Something providing immaterial support or assistance to a person or cause or interest;
The policy found little public support
His faith was all the support he needed
The team enjoyed the support of their fans
Feed
To be nourished, strengthened, or satisfied, as if by food.
Support
A military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission;
They called for artillery support
Feed
To place cattle to feed; to pasture; to graze.
If a man . . . shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field.
Support
Documentary validation;
His documentation of the results was excellent
The strongest support for this this view is the work of Jones
Feed
That which is eaten; esp., food for beasts; fodder; pasture; hay; grain, ground or whole; as, the best feed for sheep.
Support
The financial means whereby one lives;
Each child was expected to pay for their keep
He applied to the state for support
He could no longer earn his own livelihood
Feed
A grazing or pasture ground.
Support
Supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation;
The statue stood on a marble support
Feed
An allowance of provender given to a horse, cow, etc.; a meal; as, a feed of corn or oats.
Support
The act of bearing the weight of or strengthening;
He leaned against the wall for support
Feed
A meal, or the act of eating.
For such pleasure till that hourAt feed or fountain never had I found.
Support
A subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts
Feed
The water supplied to steam boilers.
Support
Any device that bears the weight of another thing;
There was no place to attach supports for a shelf
Feed
The motion, or act, of carrying forward the stuff to be operated upon, as cloth to the needle in a sewing machine; or of producing progressive operation upon any material or object in a machine, as, in a turning lathe, by moving the cutting tool along or in the work.
Support
Financial resources provided to make some project possible;
The foundation provided support for the experiment
Feed
Food for domestic livestock
Support
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to;
She supported him during the illness
Her children always backed her up
Feed
Provide as food;
Feed the guests the nuts
Support
Support materially or financially;
He does not support his natural children
The scholarship supported me when I was in college
Feed
Give food to;
Feed the starving children in India
Don't give the child this tough meat
Support
Be behind; approve of;
He plumped for the Labor Party
I backed Kennedy in 1960
Feed
Feed into; supply;
Her success feeds her vanity
Support
Be the physical support of; carry the weight of;
The beam holds up the roof
He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam
What's holding that mirror?
Feed
Introduce continuously;
Feed carrots into a food processor
Support
Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant
Feed
Support or promote;
His admiration fed her vanity
Support
Adopt as a belief;
I subscribe to your view on abortion
Feed
Take in food; used of animals only;
This dog doesn't eat certain kinds of meat
What do whales eat?
Support
Support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm;
The stories and claims were born out by the evidence
Feed
Serve as food for; be the food for;
This dish feeds six
Support
Argue or speak in defense of;
She supported the motion to strike
Feed
Move along, of liquids;
Water flowed into the cave
The Missouri feeds into the Mississippi
Support
Play a subordinate role to (another performer);
Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act
Feed
Profit from in an exploitatory manner;
He feeds on her insecurity
Support
Be a regular customer or client of;
We patronize this store
Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long as he could
Feed
Gratify;
Feed one's eyes on a gorgeous view
Support
Put up with something or somebody unpleasant;
I cannot bear his constant criticism
The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks
He learned to tolerate the heat
She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage
Feed
Provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to;
We should fertilize soil if we want to grow healthy plants
Support
To provide financially.
He supports his family through his job.
Feed
To give food to.
She feeds the birds every morning.
Support
To be compatible with.
This software supports Windows 10.
Feed
To supply with material or power.
The machine is fed by a conveyor belt.
Common Curiosities
What is the primary difference between Support and Feed?
Support implies holding up or reinforcing, while Feed means giving food or supplying input.
Can Support be used in a financial context?
Yes, to support can mean to provide financially for someone or something.
Can Support be emotional?
Absolutely. People can offer emotional support to others during challenging times.
What does it mean to feed off something?
It means to draw energy, sustenance, or inspiration from a source.
Can Feed be used in a metaphorical sense?
Yes, like "he feeds off negativity," meaning he thrives or gains energy from negative situations or feelings.
Can a software system provide Support?
Yes, a system can support certain functionalities or software applications.
What is a news Feed?
A news feed provides a continuous stream of news articles or updates, often on a specific topic or from a particular source.
Is it correct to say "feed a machine"?
Yes, it means to supply or input materials or data into the machine.
In what context is Support used in technology?
In tech, support often refers to compatibility or the provision of assistance, like tech support.
Does Feed always relate to food?
No, Feed can also refer to supplying data, information, or other resources.
Can you support an idea or a cause?
Yes, supporting an idea or cause means endorsing or backing it.
Does a podcast have a Feed?
Yes, a podcast typically has an RSS feed that supplies episodes to subscribers.
Is Support always positive?
While often used in a positive context, support can be neutral. For example, a pillar supports a roof without a positive or negative connotation.
Can a system support multiple users?
Yes, many systems are designed to support multiple users simultaneously.
Does Feed always imply a one-way provision?
Typically, yes. Feed generally refers to a one-directional supply or provision of resources.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
