mend
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make (something broken, worn, torn, or otherwise damaged) whole, sound, or usable by repairing.
to mend old clothes; to mend a broken toy.
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to remove or correct defects or errors in.
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to set right; make better; improve.
to mend matters.
- Synonyms:
- ameliorate
verb (used without object)
idioms
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mend sail, to refurl sails that have been badly furled. Also mend the furl
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on the mend,
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recovering from an illness.
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improving in general, as a state of affairs.
The breach between father and son is on the mend.
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verb
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(tr) to repair (something broken or unserviceable)
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to improve or undergo improvement; reform (often in the phrase mend one's ways )
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(intr) to heal or recover
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(intr) (of conditions) to improve; become better
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(tr) to feed or stir (a fire)
noun
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the act of repairing
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a mended area, esp on a garment
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becoming better, esp in health
Synonym Usage
Mend, darn, patch mean to repair something and thus renew its usefulness. Mend is a general expression that emphasizes the idea of making whole something damaged: to mend a broken dish, a tear in an apron. Darn and patch are more specific, referring particularly to repairing holes or tears. To darn is to repair by means of stitches interwoven with one another: to darn stockings. To patch is to cover a hole or tear, usually with a piece or pieces of similar material and to secure the edges of these; it implies a more temporary or makeshift repair than the others: to patch the knees of trousers, a rubber tire.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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mendernoun
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remendverb
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mendableadjective
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unmendableadjective
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unmendedadjective
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well-mendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mendsimple
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mendssimple
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have mendedperfect
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has mendedperfect
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am mendingprogressive
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are mendingprogressive
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is mendingprogressive
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have been mendingperfect progressive
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has been mendingperfect progressive
Past
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mendedsimple
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had mendedperfect
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was mendingprogressive
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were mendingprogressive
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had been mendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mend
1150–1200; Middle English menden, aphetic variant of amend
Explanation
When you mend something, you fix it or make it better. If you can mend your broken lamp, then it will shine again. If not you'll have to sit in the dark. The word mend was originally used as a religious term, meaning to free a person from sin, usually through repentance and good deeds. Mend has come to refer to fixing something that is broken. A mechanic might mend a broken car, or a seamstress might mend a torn dress. The word also frequently relates health and healing. Someone recovering from a long bout of the flu is said to be "on the mend." But as the song goes, "How can you mend a broken heart?"
Vocabulary lists containing mend
"Mending Wall," by Robert Frost
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
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Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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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.
While the NBA world watched the Celtics’ drama from afar to see whether they would be able to mend their relationship with Brown, he took to social media.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
Doctors at a Los Angeles hospital were able to rule out gallstones, and on Tuesday, a representative for the “Goonies” star told The Times that they cracked the case, and Feldman is on the mend.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
Chip stocks are on the mend Monday after an awful Friday.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Nevertheless, investors were worried that a labor market on the mend would make it more difficult for the Federal Reserve to justify leaving interest rates on hold.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
"She's on the mend," the Beauty Minister says.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
