Synonyms

lend

American

[lend] / lɛnd /

verb (used with object)

lent, lending

to grant the use of (something) on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
to give (money) on condition that it is returned and often that interest is paid for its temporary use.
to give or contribute obligingly or helpfully.

to lend one's aid to a cause.
to adapt (oneself or itself ) to something.

The building should lend itself to inexpensive remodeling.
to furnish or impart.

Distance lends enchantment to the view.

verb (used without object)

lent, lending

to make a loan.

idioms

lend a hand, to give help; aid.

If everyone lends a hand, we can have dinner ready in half an hour.

lend British

/ lɛnd /

verb

(tr) to permit the use of (something) with the expectation of return of the same or an equivalent
to provide (money) temporarily, often at interest
(intr) to provide loans, esp as a profession
(tr) to impart or contribute (something, esp some abstract quality)

her presence lent beauty
(tr) to provide, esp in order to assist or support

he lent his skill to the company
to listen
to possess the right characteristics or qualities for

the novel lends itself to serialization
to give support, cooperation, etc

"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

Other Word Forms

interlend verb
lender noun
overlend verb
relend verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of lend

First recorded before 900; from Middle English lenden, variant (originally past tense) of lenen, Old English lǣnan (cognate with Dutch lenen, German lehnen, Old Norse lāna ), derivative of lǣn loan; cognate with German Lehnen, Old Norse lān; loan 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.

In the nearer term, some of the biggest opportunities might also come from straightforward business performance in the bank’s key units, such as digitized payments, investment banking, wealth management and consumer-card lending.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a second case in Milan, prosecutors said Aventall had made payments "of an allegedly corrupt nature" to Enviro Pacific Investments - the company which lent the money for the Sunninghill purchase.

From BBC

Through the partnership, Goldman Sachs was trying to expand more into consumer lending.

From MarketWatch

Pace Mr. Miller, it didn’t advocate freedom for the sake of freedom, or elections as a good in themselves, even if the overwrought text of Mr. Bush’s Second Inaugural address lent itself to that parody.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023