lend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
lends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lent,
past participle, past
-
lending
present participle
-
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)
-
lends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lent,
past participle, past
-
lending
present participle
idioms
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lendsimple
-
lendssimple
-
have lentperfect
-
has lentperfect
-
am lendingprogressive
-
are lendingprogressive
-
is lendingprogressive
-
have been lendingperfect progressive
-
has been lendingperfect progressive
Past
-
lentsimple
-
had lentperfect
-
was lendingprogressive
-
were lendingprogressive
-
had been lendingperfect progressive
Future
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; see loan 1
Explanation
When you lend something, you loan it or let someone borrow it. You might, for example, lend your bike to your brother — if he promises to be careful with it. Libraries lend people books, and car rental companies lend people cars — in both cases, the item that's been borrowed is supposed to be returned eventually. Another way to lend is to "add a quality to," or "be suitable for." You could say that you think your hat lends you a mysterious quality, or that your trench coat lends itself to walking through a foggy city at dusk.
Vocabulary lists containing lend
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 17
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 17, Lesson 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Free Period
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
He said that if someone is not telling the truth, then no matter how many individuals are told something "it does not lend the lie any more credibility".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Because bond prices and yields move in opposite directions, a higher yield occurs when buyers force prices lower before agreeing to lend to the government.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
A nine-year-old chip still running and generating sales also gives some credence to the idea that chips are viable assets to lend against.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Ballmer was the perfect deep-pocket partner to fund Catona’s flagging operations and lend legitimacy to Catona’s carbon credit business,” says the amended complaint viewed by The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
This guy with a name like a title leaned over and asked if I could lend him a piece of paper and a pen.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
“Fans love drama, buildup, internet gossip, beef and story lines, and I think fighting naturally lends itself to that,” Paul said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
It also lends the sandwich the air of something procured from a real cute deli, perhaps one with handwritten menu boards and expensive sparkling water.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The deal would be the latest in a string of vendor financing agreements in the AI ecosystem, whereby a seller lends to a buyer of its products.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
A heavily congested schedule lends itself to splitting the coaching jobs, but can also lead to one team being sidelined in terms of access to multi-format players.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
I should explain that Margot and Peter are allowed to read nearly all the books Mr. Kleiman lends us.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
He has lent his campaign more than $1.6 million and failed to provide the personal disclosure information required of federal candidates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
For instance, library members could only borrow one book at a time, unless it could be proved that six people in the same household could read, in which case, three books could be lent out.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The Hormuz closure has only lent greater significance to the Red Sea, the only other maritime route for oil shipments from global heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Rather than convert their mountain of trade-surplus dollars into yen, which would have driven the yen higher still, they lent the dollars back to the country they had earned them from.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
He had actually lent his support to the Stamp Act in 1765 and lobbied for a position within the English government as late as 1771.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Each of them resides in the U.S. but is drawn to lending a hand at Gazan hospitals — that is, when they’re actually allowed entry into the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Bondholders collect interest in return for lending their money, which is known as the bond yield.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
However, with uncertainity over the hundreds of billions of dollars being ploughed into AI as well as the potential risks, investors are demanding higher returns on lending.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
With long-term Treasury yields hovering at multidecade highs, traders have begun asking the uncomfortable question: How much will the U.S. need to pay to convince the world to keep lending it money?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Lee sweeps her arm out, lending me the stage.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
