trend
Americannoun
-
trends
plural
-
the general course or prevailing tendency; drift.
trends in the teaching of foreign languages; the trend of events.
-
style or vogue.
the new trend in women's apparel.
-
the general direction followed by a road, river, coastline, or the like.
verb (used without object)
-
trends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
trended,
past participle, past
-
trending
present participle
-
to have a general tendency, as events, conditions, etc.
-
to tend to take a particular direction; extend in some direction indicated.
-
to emerge as a popular trend; be currently popular.
words that have trended this year.
-
Digital Technology. to be widely mentioned or discussed on the internet, especially in posts on social media websites.
news stories that are trending online.
-
to veer or turn off in a specified direction, as a river, mountain range, etc..
The river trends toward the southeast.
noun
-
general tendency or direction
-
fashion; mode
verb
Synonym Usage
See tendency.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
trendsimple
-
trendssimple
-
have trendedperfect
-
has trendedperfect
-
am trendingprogressive
-
are trendingprogressive
-
is trendingprogressive
-
have been trendingperfect progressive
-
has been trendingperfect progressive
Past
-
trendedsimple
-
had trendedperfect
-
was trendingprogressive
-
were trendingprogressive
-
had been trendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of trend
First recorded before 1000; Middle English trenden “to turn, roll,” Old English trendan; akin to Old English trinde “ball,” Dutch trent “circumference,” Swedish trind “round;” see trindle, trundle
Explanation
A trend is what's hip or popular at a certain point in time. While a trend usually refers to a certain style in fashion or entertainment, there could be a trend toward warmer temperatures (if people are following trends associated with global warming). A trend simply reflects what seems to be going around at any given time. A trend can be in any area and doesn't only reflect fashion, pop culture and entertainment. There can also be a trend in the stock market to be bullish or bearish, depending on economic indicators, or a political trend reflecting a nation’s current mood. Some trends are fun, some fabulous, some appalling, but however long they last, you can be sure there will always be a new trend coming along to replace the old.
Vocabulary lists containing trend
The Scientific Method
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Catcher in the Rye
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Word Generation Science - Introductory Chemistry Concepts
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“That’s a losing trend only compared to the New York Jets.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Gen Z is pushing back against influencers, delighting in Obama-era signifiers like frozen yogurt and fighting off the “tradwife” trend.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The California Department of Public Health identified this local spread as the most notable recent vector-borne trend it’s tracking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
For Opel, these measures are part of a long-term trend.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
"I liked the trend of darker skin and light eyes; will that be back in fashion?"
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
And, even as consumers cycle through fashion trends more quickly thanks to social media, some analysts say there’s room for more gains.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
The county’s main economic engine is a university where enrollment has declined over the past two years and demographic trends portend further declines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Interest-rate differentials, inflation trends and trade balances are usually thought of as drivers of foreign-exchange movement — but, increasingly, the drivers in the currency market are companies looking to expand their offerings in artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Outside of big recent swings in energy prices, underlying inflation trends have been more stubborn than Fed policymakers would like.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The shift in shade is no doubt an attempt to stay abreast of the capricious fashion trends of the Capitol.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Much of Tesla’s sales growth is tied to Europe, where sales have trended stronger in recent months.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Fasting blood glucose trended downward across groups, and several lipid related measures also improved.
From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026
While shares have trended lower this week, the stock remains up 68% in 2026.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
Standardized test scores have trended upward since the nadir of the COVID-19 pandemic, recovering faster than the state average, but the pace remains too incremental for critics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
Still, Penelope convinced herself that the havoc trended in one direction slightly more so than in the other.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
The news of his death quickly shot to top trending on social media platform Weibo, with the topic gaining more than 190 million views just hours after it was announced.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Goodman was definitely trending this weekend, but thankfully he is alive and well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The trailing 12-month dividend yield on the S&P 500 is now hovering around a generational low of just over 1%, after trending downward for much of the past two decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"We're kind of trending towards these influencers that are more authentic, living their true life," she says.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
We’re a trending story on Twitter—probably Facebook, too.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
