mend
Americanverb (used with object)
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mends,
present (3rd person singular)
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mended,
past participle, past
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mending
present participle
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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)
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mends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mended,
past participle, past
-
mending
present participle
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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Lyrics from "Umbrella" by Rihanna
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
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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.
See Examples For:
Natalie Andrews and Philip Wegmann show how Vance is trying to mend fences for the midterms and beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
When Axios reported that Harris had privately called Zogby and others to try to mend the rift, he wouldn’t comment at the time.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
Writing on Instagram, she assured fans the injury wasn't serious, insisting she was "on the mend" and would complete her final shows "even if I am a few inches shorter than usual".
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
And because she hasn’t been at the company very long, I think it’s absolutely possible that you two can reset and mend your relationship.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
“Careful, children! If the trousers get torn, you will have to mend them yourself, Alexander.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
I found a local tailor who mends with precision and fell in love with pieces that I forgot I even had.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2025
As for Aznavorian, he hopes the U.S. mends trade relations with its allies.
From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024
Those positions will not return, even as the business mends, executives said.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2024
A destitute woman draped in a torn and tattered apron mends socks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2023
In the story he mends his broken heart by turning it to stone.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Harry, 41, appeared to have mended relations with his father, King Charles III, who is battling cancer, during more recent UK visits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Our reporting examines how two of the world’s most powerful figures quietly mended one of modern politics’ most volatile partnerships—and what both stand to gain ahead of the high-stakes midterm elections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The two presidents, however, appeared to have mended their relations at a White House meeting in February - after which Trump called his guest "terrific".
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
When he entered the race for attorney general, Roy said he and Trump had mended fences, pointing to the president’s remark last summer that Roy is “not easy, but he’s good.”
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
It was still a fresh wound, just a couple of seasons mended.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
Parker has been mending rifts professionally for 25 years, but she insists that her skill set shouldn’t be special.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
He promised to give priority to growth by holding the line on taxes, trimming spending, lifting barriers to infrastructure and housing, and mending relations with the European Union.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
"You don't get many people mending raw cashmere," said Wade, whose role is to meticulously inspect and darn any defects in the fabric by hand, before it is washed, cut and shipped around the world.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
After Hasina's fall, Dhaka wasted little time in mending fences with Islamabad.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Mrs. Cohen takes up a pile of socks from Mrs. de Vries's mending pile and quietly begins to darn them.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
