lean
verb (used without object)
to incline or bend from a vertical position.
lean
1 American
[leen]
/ lin /
verb (used without object)
-
leans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
leaned,
past participle, past
-
leant,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
leaning
present participle
-
to incline or bend from a vertical position.
She leaned out the window.
-
to incline, as in a particular direction; slant.
The post leans to the left.
The building leaned sharply before renovation.
-
to incline in feeling, opinion, action, etc..
to lean toward socialism.
-
to rest against or on something for support.
to lean against a wall.
-
to depend or rely (usually followed by on orupon ).
someone he could lean on in an emergency.
verb (used with object)
-
leans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
leaned,
past participle, past
-
leant,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
leaning
present participle
-
to incline or bend.
He leaned his head forward.
-
to cause to lean or rest; prop.
to lean a chair against the railing.
noun
verb phrase
-
lean on
-
to exert influence or pressure on in order to gain cooperation, maintain discipline, or the like.
The state is leaning on the company to clean up its industrial wastes.
-
to criticize, reprimand, or punish.
I would have enjoyed school more if the teachers hadn't leaned on me so much.
-
-
lean in
-
to shift one's body weight forward or toward someone or something.
Because Don was whispering, I had to lean in so I could hear him.
He stood near home plate and leaned in for the pitch.
-
to embrace risk, be assertive, etc., as to achieve the greatest level of success in the workplace.
She really knows how to lean in—she'll have a corner office before long.
-
idioms
lean
2
American
[leen]
/ lin /
adjective
-
leaner,
comparative
-
leanest
superlative
-
(of persons or animals) without much flesh or fat; not plump or fat; thin.
lean cattle.
- Antonyms:
- fat
-
(of edible meat) containing little or no fat.
- Antonyms:
- fat
-
lacking in richness, fullness, quantity, etc.; poor.
a lean diet; lean years.
- Synonyms:
- jejune, unfruitful, barren, sparse
- Antonyms:
- fruitful
-
spare; economical.
a lean prose style.
-
Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively low ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with rich).
-
(of paint) having more pigment than oil.
-
Nautical. (of a bow) having fine lines; sharp.
-
Metallurgy. (of ore) having a low mineral content; low-grade.
noun
-
the part of flesh that consists of muscle rather than fat.
-
the lean part of anything.
-
Typesetting. matter that is difficult to set because of complexity or intermixed fonts.
Lean
3
American
[leen]
/ lin /
noun
lean
1
British
/ liːn /
adjective
-
(esp of a person or an animal) having no surplus flesh or bulk; not fat or plump
-
not bulky or full
-
(of meat) having little or no fat
-
not rich, abundant, or satisfying
-
(of a mixture of fuel and air) containing insufficient fuel and too much air
a lean mixture
-
(of printer's type) having a thin appearance
-
(of a paint) containing relatively little oil
-
(of an ore) not having a high mineral content
-
(of concrete) made with a small amount of cement
noun
lean
2
British
/ liːn /
verb
-
to rest or cause to rest against a support
-
to incline or cause to incline from a vertical position
-
(intr; foll by to or towards) to have or express a tendency or leaning
-
informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
noun
Lean
3
British
/ liːn /
noun
Usage
What else does lean mean? Content warning: this article contains references to drug abuse. In slang, lean is a term for prescription-strength cough syrup mixed with soft drinks and candy. It’s also known by such other names as purple drank or sizzurp.
Synonym Usage
See thin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
leansimple
-
leanssimple
-
have leanedperfect
-
have leantperfect
-
has leanedperfect
-
has leantperfect
-
am leaningprogressive
-
are leaningprogressive
-
is leaningprogressive
-
have been leaningperfect progressive
-
has been leaningperfect progressive
Past
-
leanedsimple
-
leantsimple
-
had leanedperfect
-
had leantperfect
-
was leaningprogressive
-
were leaningprogressive
-
had been leaningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lean1
First recorded before 900; Middle English lenen, Old English hleonian, hlinian; cognate with German lehnen; akin to Greek klī́nein, Latin -clīnāre “to incline ”
Origin of lean2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lene, lein(e), Old English hlǣne
Explanation
If you lean on something, you incline your body against it, like the way you lean against a wall while waiting in line. If you lean on a person, you rely on her for moral support, like the way you lean on your best friend when you're feeling sad or worried. If you’re tired, lean back in your chair. If you’re broke, lean on your family for financial help. But something can lean all by itself, if it’s not standing straight. The famous Tower of Pisa leans at an angle of about 4 degrees. As an adjective, we use lean to describe something skimpy or lacking excess flesh. When you're experiencing financial difficulty, you could say you're going through lean (not prosperous) times.
Vocabulary lists containing lean
"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Paltry Parlance: Synonyms for "Few"
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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:
That is low by historical standards; in lean years the majority, or even the entirety, of the sector's profits have been accounted for by subsidy.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,” she’d written.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Investors found a slew of reasons to lean into the software trade on Wednesday, and ServiceNow’s stock was out in front.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
We could lean on Congress and say: “Once upon a time in 1966, Congress established the statutory protection for handling gifts.”
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
I lean back into my seat and he leans back, too, setting in to tell me a story.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Lean in, though, and you’ll hear how carefully she’s building toward a feeling of complete abandon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Shopkeeper Dayana Lean, 51, said that "zones one and three" of the complex were the hardest hit.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Lean and wet and smeared with grass, he introduces himself as Lincoln Hedberg from New Jersey.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Or Sheryl Sandberg, whose Lean In Foundation now hawks AI to women; in March, Sandberg joined the board of directors of Nscale, a British data-center startup.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
“Here, come, Matt. Come, John. Today’s memory will be a video of the four of us. Lean in.”
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
Northern sled dogs became compact and heavily coated for cold conditions, while hunting dogs near the equator tended to be leaner and better suited to heat.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Boeing is getting leaner — and in the process, Archer Aviation’s stock is getting a big boost.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Rather than explain how a leaner fish or one packed in oil might change the cake, the recipe simply expands to encompass nearly anything.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Unlike the Hollywood Bowl, which has fleets of shuttles ready to go, F&M Bank Amphitheater’s shuttle operation felt a bit leaner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Tank is around the same height as Ziggy, but a lot leaner.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
The leanest pork cuts include the loin, tenderloin, center loin and ham.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
It's not a lie - I was never the leanest cricketer in the world, but I won games for franchises.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2023
Schrader takes a page from the great journalism movies — most notably “All the President’s Men” and, more recently, “Spotlight” — by paring down the narrative to its leanest, most unfussy elements.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2022
Hotels across the country are bracing for what is expected to be one of China's leanest holiday travel periods since early 2020.
From Reuters ● Apr. 29, 2022
The advice to omit needless words should not be confused with the puritanical edict that all writers must pare every sentence down to the shortest, leanest, most abstemious version possible.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
This version leans hard into fresh corn, still in its cool green husks and already smelling sweet before you cut it from the cob.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Blanche leans on Williams’ concession that she cannot void the private contract.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Ford leans on pickup trucks and other traditionally powered vehicles to limit sales decline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The councillor then rises from the bench and leans into the person's face.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Gabi pulls her knees up and leans back on the wall at the side of the bed.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
"It's why we have leaned so heavily into lower prices," said Rainey.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, worked for New York City’s fire department and was the parent she leaned on for emotional support.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
Mangione leaned into the microphone before him and stated: "Guilty."
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
And as litigation has unfolded, the White House has leaned in to arguments that the project is a matter of national security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
He leaned over to talk to me through his passenger window.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Chanel's artistic director Matthieu Blazy leant into the world of whimsy and fantasy with his haute couture collection.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Researchers said the work also leant further credence to a theory about humpback whale patterns known as the "Southern Ocean Exchange".
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
The 27-year-old, who won the Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act category at last week's Brit Awards, played a setlist that leant heavily on his recent number one album, The Boy Who Played The Harp.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
The family also claims the new authorities have leant on the courts to find them guilty.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
I leant over the rail and looked down at the hall below.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
More Americans are leaning on flexible payment options as persistent inflation has made it difficult for households to afford basic necessities.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Instead, Conagra is leaning on the appeal of cozy and nostalgic flavors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The younger Bush was different, leaning into his sun-baked upbringing while keeping one boot firmly back East.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
In general, I hold that duality a lot — sonically leaning into joy and movement and dance, and then lyrically being in the shadow and focusing on the transformation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
“I will hold it for you,” he said, leaning toward us.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
