lend
Americanverb (used with object)
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lends,
present (3rd person singular)
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lent,
past participle, past
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lending
present participle
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to grant the use of (something) on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
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to give (money) on condition that it is returned and often that interest is paid for its temporary use.
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to give or contribute obligingly or helpfully.
to lend one's aid to a cause.
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to adapt (oneself or itself ) to something.
The building should lend itself to inexpensive remodeling.
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to furnish or impart.
Distance lends enchantment to the view.
verb (used without object)
-
lends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lent,
past participle, past
-
lending
present participle
idioms
verb
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(tr) to permit the use of (something) with the expectation of return of the same or an equivalent
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to provide (money) temporarily, often at interest
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(intr) to provide loans, esp as a profession
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(tr) to impart or contribute (something, esp some abstract quality)
her presence lent beauty
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(tr) to provide, esp in order to assist or support
he lent his skill to the company
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to listen
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to possess the right characteristics or qualities for
the novel lends itself to serialization
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to give support, cooperation, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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lendsimple
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lendssimple
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have lentperfect
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has lentperfect
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am lendingprogressive
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are lendingprogressive
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is lendingprogressive
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have been lendingperfect progressive
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has been lendingperfect progressive
Past
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lentsimple
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had lentperfect
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was lendingprogressive
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were lendingprogressive
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had been lendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lend
First recorded before 900; from Middle English lenden, variant (originally past tense) of lenen, Old English lǣnan (cognate with Dutch lenen, German lehnen, Old Norse lāna ), derivative of lǣn loan; cognate with German Lehnen, Old Norse lān; see loan 1
Explanation
When you lend something, you loan it or let someone borrow it. You might, for example, lend your bike to your brother — if he promises to be careful with it. Libraries lend people books, and car rental companies lend people cars — in both cases, the item that's been borrowed is supposed to be returned eventually. Another way to lend is to "add a quality to," or "be suitable for." You could say that you think your hat lends you a mysterious quality, or that your trench coat lends itself to walking through a foggy city at dusk.
Vocabulary lists containing lend
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 17
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Unit 17, Lesson 4
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Free Period
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Under the deal being discussed, a Morgan-Stanley-led consortium of banks would lend the money to Nexus Data Centers to build the data center and power plant in Hubbard, Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
For 44 years, the smart move was to lend money to the United States government for 30 years at a fixed rate.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Bloody Sunday” was also the last time she would speak to her family and friends, or lend her activism to the Civil Rights Movement.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
The full UK licence allows Revolut to lend to customers in the country and offers them stronger financial protections.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Teach you, I mean, if Miss Hazel would lend me the books. Captain Wallace might be willing to do the math.”
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
It also lends the sandwich the air of something procured from a real cute deli, perhaps one with handwritten menu boards and expensive sparkling water.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The deal would be the latest in a string of vendor financing agreements in the AI ecosystem, whereby a seller lends to a buyer of its products.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Carney’s unique tenor ranges from Jeff Buckley to Freddie Mercury; his rock background and skill with the guitar is required for Orpheus’ lyre-playing and lends to the folk roots of Mitchell’s songs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
This lends an intriguing additional layer to Iago’s festering, consuming hatred: Even his own wife is a potential rival, in addition to, he believes, having slept with Othello.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Johns has used the same plaster cast four times, which lends the faces a curious anonymity.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
The Hormuz closure has only lent greater significance to the Red Sea, the only other maritime route for oil shipments from global heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Rather than convert their mountain of trade-surplus dollars into yen, which would have driven the yen higher still, they lent the dollars back to the country they had earned them from.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Tyson lent his name to the academy for $1 a year, has appeared at ceremonies for the school and given motivational speeches to students.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
He recently told Congress that he was sorry that he lent Epstein any credibility and hurt the reputation of the Gates Foundation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
His feet were cold, so I lent him my bed socks.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
It’s not quite quantitative easing, because the Federal Reserve is lending Japan money in return for temporary ownership of Treasurys in repurchase agreements, rather than outright buying the Treasurys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
In the second quarter, the company worked to make its AI lending models better at separating low-risk customers from high-risk customers, according to CEO Paul Gu.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Thanks to Ian for lending me the chair, and, above all, thanks to you for reading.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Japan plans to use a Federal Reserve lending program to raise dollars to defend the yen without selling its U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
They made small talk as they drove through the tidal flatland of Hampton, Katherine’s cat-shaped, wire-rimmed glasses lending her face a seriousness that matched her demeanor.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
