lean

[ leen ]

/ lin /

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verb (used without object), leaned or (especially British) leant; lean·ing.

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 or upon): someone he could lean on in an emergency.

verb (used with object), leaned or (especially British) leant; lean·ing.

to incline or bend: He leaned his head forward.

to cause to lean or rest; prop: to lean a chair against the railing.

noun

the act or state of leaning; inclination: The tower has a pronounced lean.

Verb Phrases

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.

lean on, Informal.

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.

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Idioms about lean

lean over backward(s). bend¹ (def. 21).

Origin of lean

First recorded before 900; Middle English lenen, Old English hleonian, hlinian; cognate with German lehnen; akin to Greek klī́nein, Latin -clīnāre “to incline ”

Other definitions for lean (2 of 3)

lean²

[ leen ]

/ lin /

adjective, lean·er, lean·est.

(of persons or animals) without much flesh or fat; not plump or fat; thin: lean cattle.

(of edible meat) containing little or no fat.

lacking in richness, fullness, quantity, etc.; poor: a lean diet; lean years.

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.Compare fat (def. 12).

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.Compare fat (def. 23).

OTHER WORDS FOR lean

1 skinny, lank, lanky.

3 sparse, barren, unfruitful, jejune.

See synonyms for lean on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR lean

1, 2 fat.

3 fruitful.

See antonyms for lean on Thesaurus.com

Origin of lean

First recorded before 1000; Middle English lene, lein(e), Old English hlǣne

synonym study for lean

1. See thin.

OTHER WORDS FROM lean

leanly, adverbleanness, noun

Other definitions for lean (3 of 3)

Lean

[ leen ]

/ lin /

noun

David, 1908–91, British film director.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lean in a sentence

“Demographic change is likely a big part of the story, combined with higher participation from some of the faster-growing groups,” said Tom Bonier, who runs a Democratic-leaning political data firm called TargetSmart.
How Georgia Turned Blue|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 18, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The coronavirus crisis only amplified this trend, and publishers have leaned into their communities in 2020 unlike never before.
Deep Dive: How the future of publishing is taking shape in the ongoing coronavirus crisis era|Pierre Bienaimé|November 17, 2020|Digiday
Masks and Lysol and computer screens have no place in the famous Norman Rockwell painting Freedom from Want, the classic portrayal of a American family feast in a sunlit dining room, with smiling faces leaning in way, way, closer than six feet.
It’s not too late to cancel Thanksgiving|David Rotman|November 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
So for those prone to paranoia, there’s the Floorwork and Low Flow category which, as the name suggests, leans heavy on the space around the pole and nothing on the actual pole higher than the dancer’s raised hands.
Know Your Flow: The Good Sh*t Guide to Pole Passions|Eugene Robinson|November 12, 2020|Ozy

Beyond the state’s overall Republican lean, lower turnout and the makeup of the runoff electorate have been major pluses for Republicans.
Georgia’s Runoffs Will Determine Control Of The Senate. Here’s What We Know So Far.|Nathaniel Rakich (nathaniel.rakich@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 11, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
He spread his hands, long and almost transparent in their leanness, and on his face a cloud of sorrow rested.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
In this same class might also be found leanness and slimness, which form a class different from the four preceding ideas.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)
There is, of course, a certain kind of leanness which is the result of ill health.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society|Upton Sinclair
That is not the kind of leanness that I mean, but the active, wiry leanness, which sometimes lives a hundred years.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society|Upton Sinclair
God gave her that to which she aspired, and which so many envy; but "He sent leanness into her soul."
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VII|John Lord

British Dictionary definitions for lean (1 of 3)

lean¹

/ (liːn) /

verb leans, leaning, leaned or leant

(foll by against, on, or upon) 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

lean over backwards informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please

noun

the condition of inclining from a vertical position

Word Origin for lean

Old English hleonian, hlinian; related to Old High German hlinēn, Latin clīnāre to incline

British Dictionary definitions for lean (2 of 3)

lean²

/ (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 aira 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

the part of meat that contains little or no fat

Derived forms of lean

leanly, adverbleanness, noun

Word Origin for lean

Old English hlǣne, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for lean (3 of 3)

Lean

/ (liːn) /

noun

Sir David. 1908–91, English film director. His films include In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945), Brief Encounter (1946), Great Expectations (1946), Oliver Twist (1948), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)

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

lean

Idioms about lean

Origin of lean

Other definitions for lean (2 of 3)

OTHER WORDS FOR lean

OPPOSITES FOR lean

Origin of lean

synonym study for lean

OTHER WORDS FROM lean

Other definitions for lean (3 of 3)

Words related to lean

How to use lean in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lean (1 of 3)

Word Origin for lean

British Dictionary definitions for lean (2 of 3)

Derived forms of lean

Word Origin for lean

British Dictionary definitions for lean (3 of 3)