mend
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make (something broken, worn, torn, or otherwise damaged) whole, sound, or usable by repairing.
to mend old clothes; to mend a broken toy.
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to remove or correct defects or errors in.
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to set right; make better; improve.
to mend matters.
- Synonyms:
- ameliorate
verb (used without object)
noun
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the act of mending; repair or improvement.
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a mended place.
idioms
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mend sail, to refurl sails that have been badly furled. Also mend the furl
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on the mend,
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recovering from an illness.
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improving in general, as a state of affairs.
The breach between father and son is on the mend.
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verb
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(tr) to repair (something broken or unserviceable)
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to improve or undergo improvement; reform (often in the phrase mend one's ways )
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(intr) to heal or recover
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(intr) (of conditions) to improve; become better
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(tr) to feed or stir (a fire)
noun
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the act of repairing
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a mended area, esp on a garment
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becoming better, esp in health
Related Words
Mend, darn, patch mean to repair something and thus renew its usefulness. Mend is a general expression that emphasizes the idea of making whole something damaged: to mend a broken dish, a tear in an apron. Darn and patch are more specific, referring particularly to repairing holes or tears. To darn is to repair by means of stitches interwoven with one another: to darn stockings. To patch is to cover a hole or tear, usually with a piece or pieces of similar material and to secure the edges of these; it implies a more temporary or makeshift repair than the others: to patch the knees of trousers, a rubber tire.
Other Word Forms
- mendable adjective
- mender noun
- remend verb
- unmendable adjective
- unmended adjective
- well-mended adjective
Etymology
Origin of mend
1150–1200; Middle English menden, aphetic variant of amend
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.
One of the biggest stars of the era was Shirley Temple, a sweet, ringleted child who comforted audiences by mending rifts in families and melting the hearts of tough guys.
They drove less, shopped way less, “made do and mended,” and accepted food rationing.
From MarketWatch
I could never remember that I was wearing long skirts now, and Betsie spent many evenings mending the rips I put in them when I moved too fast.
From Literature
‘Do you want new boots, or do we mend yours?’ snapped Oslak’s mate, who was measuring him for winter clothes.
From Literature
My bed was in the corner of the sitting room behind a mended tri-fold silk screen.
From Literature
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.
