leaning

American  

[lee-ning] / ˈli nɪŋ /

noun

1. inclination; tendency.

   strong literary leanings.

   Synonyms:

   penchant, bias, proclivity, propensity, bent

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leaning British  

/ ˈliːnɪŋ /

noun

1. a tendency or inclination

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Etymology

Origin of leaning

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

Example Sentences

By leaning in to the misfortune of a lot of stolen chocolate, the company “embraced the opportunity and turned it into a positive.”

From The Wall Street Journal

With insurers leaning on exclusions to limit payouts, a lot more fights are forecast.

From The Wall Street Journal

“You saying I stink, kid?” he said, leaning over me with fake menace.

From Literature

"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

Best known as one-half of reality TV’s most polarizing couple on “The Hills,” Pratt built a reputation as a needling instigator, often leaning into the role of villain with annoying enthusiasm.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• inclination
• predilection
• propensity
• sentiment