to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent.
Our neighbor borrowed my lawn mower.
to use, appropriate, or introduce from another source or from a foreign source.
to borrow an idea from the opposition;
to borrow a word from French.
Arithmetic. (in subtraction) to take from one denomination and add to the next lower.
to borrow something.
Don't borrow unless you intend to repay.
Nautical.
to sail close to the wind; luff.
to sail close to the shore.
Golf. to putt on other than a direct line from the lie of the ball to the hole, to compensate for the incline or roll of the green.
to obtain or receive (something, such as money) on loan for temporary use, intending to give it, or something equivalent or identical, back to the lender
to adopt (ideas, words, etc) from another source; appropriate
not_standard to lend
golf to putt the ball uphill of the direct path to the hole
(intr) golf (of a ball) to deviate from a straight path because of the slope of the ground
golf a deviation of a ball from a straight path because of the slope of the ground
a left borrow
material dug from a borrow pit to provide fill at another
living an unexpected extension of life
close to death
The use of off after borrow was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable in informal contexts
First recorded before 900; Middle English borowen, Old English borgian “to borrow, lend,” verb derivative of borg “a pledge”; cognate with Dutch borg “a pledge,” borgen “to charge, give credit,” German Borg “credit,” borgen “to take on credit”
The word borrow means to take something and use it temporarily. You can borrow a book from the library, or borrow twenty bucks from your mom, or even borrow an idea from your friend. Usually , borrow implies taking something temporarily and returning it later. However, you can borrow non-physical things and adopt them as your own. For example, the English language has borrowed many words from other languages — such as Latin and Greek — but those words were never "given back." If you're subtracting numbers, you might have to borrow from the tens column to complete the problem.
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Related: ‘We’re worried the honey pot will run dry’: Does the government borrow from my Social Security to fund federal programs?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
"I've been reading romance since I was old enough to borrow my mum's books when I probably shouldn't have been," she said wryly.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
When he went to another branch of the same bank and asked to borrow $250 to take his wife on vacation, he was approved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
So one thing we’ve done is subscribe to clothing-rental services, such as Nuuly, which lets customers borrow six items for $70 a month.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
“I have no wish to invade your realms, Miss Lumley. But perhaps I might borrow a chair? The one at my table is rather wobbly in the leg.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Searching on sites like AllBorrow and Borrow the Bazaar, the standard price to rent one outfit for eight days is between $120 and $200.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
The fund’s use of debt via New Arrangements to Borrow requires 85% approval of voting shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Tricolor isn’t a private credit fund, but its businesses was built on the same idea: Borrow money from banks, lend it to borrowers who don’t have access to bank financing—for a high yield.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
The early momentum belonged to Hawaii after punter Lucas Borrow took a snap, saw plenty of open field in front of him and took off running.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2024
Borrow the warthog from Baba Joseph, I expect, thought Nhamo, but she said, “I’m glad Sister Gladys is pleased with my work.”
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
One could argue, however, that as Alphabet rolls out more data centers — and borrows money to do it — that it is becoming more of an industrial company, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
While “Is God Is” borrows from some of those films, it’s not trying to show off.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
The IMF suggested the government's commitment to its rules on borrowing and reducing the deficit - the amount it borrows in a financial year - would help protect its financial "credibility".
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
Since the crisis erupted, the interest rates at which Romania borrows have risen, and the lei currency has depreciated against the euro, which reached an all-time high of 5.21 Romanian lei on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
“Well, usually, the kid who borrows the book returns with it.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
The third-place play-off offered Fontaine one last chance to fill his borrowed boots - and he took it, with four goals in a 6-3 thumping of West Germany.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
A dozen Pacific countries have protested the missile test, including small nations that borrowed from China for their infrastructure, and its closest Pacific security partner, the Solomon Islands.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
High valuations and volatility are tolerable if funded by long-term equity capital — not borrowed money that must be serviced and repaid.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
I borrowed that idea for these BLT-inspired chilled noodles.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
I flipped back a few pages in the ledger, and my gaze fell on a pair of entries: four hundred dollars borrowed from the Chinese Benevolent Association and four hundred paid out.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Tech giants are borrowing even more than expected, weighing on bond prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
It also can limit how much of any new deal they can buy, which can increase borrowing costs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
As it turns out, however, companies are spending and borrowing even more than investors had anticipated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Immigrants often turn to each other for financing, either because they’re locked out of the traditional banking system or because they’re more comfortable borrowing and lending within their own community.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Caesar seemed to be borrowing a page from Cleopatra’s traditions that blurred the lines between human and divine beings.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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.
