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Synonyms

leaning

American  
[lee-ning] / ˈli nɪŋ /

noun

  1. inclination; tendency.

    strong literary leanings.
    Synonyms:
    penchant, bias, proclivity, propensity, bent
leaning British  
/ ˈliːnɪŋ /

noun

  1. a tendency or inclination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of leaning

First recorded before 1000; Middle English leninge, Old English hlining; lean 1 + -ing 1

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.

Shake Shack joins a list of restaurant chains leaning into loyalty programs to drive growth as traffic softens and consumers pull back on spending.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

"I still have this picture before my eyes: a person leaning on a tree, with ski poles next to him, listening to the radio somehow nestled on their chest," she recalls.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“We’re leaning towards entertainment,” Jacobs says, before a wry smile creeps onto his face.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Sapient works with clients ranging from hotel group Marriott to carmaker Nissan to mayonnaise brand Hellmann’s and has been leaning into their plans to use AI to overhaul operations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Don Swanson spent his first hours at Mount St. Helens leaning out of a hovering helicopter directly over the summit of the volcano.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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.