render

¹ American  

[ren-der] / ˈrɛn dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to be or become; make.

   to render someone helpless.

2. to do; perform.

   to render a service.

3. to furnish; provide.

   to render aid.

   Synonyms:

   afford, contribute, supply, give

4. to exhibit or show (obedience, attention, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   demonstrate

5. to present for consideration, approval, payment, action, etc., as an account.

6. to return; to make (a payment in money, kind, or service) as by a tenant to a superior.

   knights rendering military service to the lord.

7. to pay as due (a tax, tribute, etc.).

8. to deliver formally or officially; hand down.

   to render a verdict.

9. to translate into another language.

   to render French poems into English.

10. to represent; depict, as in painting.

    to render a landscape.

11. to represent (a perspective view of a projected building) in drawing or painting.

12. to bring out the meaning of by performance or execution; interpret, as a part in a drama or a piece of music.

13. Digital Technology.

    1. to use the processing power of computer hardware and software to synthesize (the components of an image or animation) in a final graphic output.

       I’m able to render the lighting in this scene much faster now, thanks to my new graphics card.

    2. to load (game assets) in a video game, displaying objects, textures, geometry, lighting, etc., on screen in their complete intended form: The game is still playable even if the textures in the environment aren’t always rendered right.

       My laggy connection didn’t render the enemies until I was basically standing on top of them.

       The game is still playable even if the textures in the environment aren’t always rendered right.

14. to give in return or requital.

    to render good for evil.

15. to give back; restore (often followed byback ).

16. to send (a suspected criminal) abroad; subject to rendition.

17. to give up; surrender.

    Synonyms:

    yield, cede

18. Building Trades. to cover (masonry) with a first coat of plaster.

19. to melt down; extract the impurities from by melting.

    to render fat.

20. to process, as for industrial use.

    to render livestock carcasses.

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verb (used without object)

1. to provide due reward.

2. to separate oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting.

3. Digital Technology. (of assets in a video game) to load so they are visible to the player in their complete intended form.

   There is a long delay before the geometry renders when I change zones, so sometimes I find my character walking in place up against a wall when the world finally loads.

noun

1. Building Trades. a first coat of plaster for a masonry surface.

render ² American  

[ren-der] / ˈrɛn dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that rends or tears something apart forcefully or violently.

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render British  

/ ˈrɛndə /

verb

1. to present or submit (accounts, etc) for payment, approval, or action

2. to give or provide (aid, charity, a service, etc)

3. to show (obedience), as due or expected

4. to give or exchange, as by way of return or requital

   to render blow for blow

5. to cause to become

   grief had rendered him simple-minded

6. to deliver (a verdict or opinion) formally

7. to portray or depict (something), as in painting, music, or acting

8. computing to use colour and shading to make a digital image look three-dimensional and solid

9. to translate (something) into another language or form

10. (sometimes foll by up) to yield or give

    the tomb rendered up its secret

11. (often foll by back) to return (something); give back

12. to cover the surface of (brickwork, stone, etc) with a coat of plaster

13. (often foll by down) to extract (fat) from (meat) by melting

14. nautical

    1. to reeve (a line)

    2. to slacken (a rope, etc)

15. history (of a feudal tenant) to make (payment) in money, goods, or services to one's overlord

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noun

1. a first thin coat of plaster applied to a surface

2. history a payment in money, goods, or services made by a feudal tenant to his lord

Other Word Forms

• renderable adjective
• renderer noun
• unrenderable adjective

Etymology

Origin of render¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English rendren, from Middle French rendre, from unattested Vulgar Latin rendere, alteration (formed by analogy with prendere “to take”) of Latin reddere “to give back,” equivalent to red- prefix meaning “again” or “again and again” + -dere, combining form of dare “to give”; see red-

Origin of render²

First recorded in 1580–90; rend + -er ¹

Explanation

Render is a synonym of "make" — technically it means "cause to become." An illness might render you unable to walk, or a shocking sight might render you speechless. Another basic meaning of the verb render is to give, present, or perform something: you could render assistance to someone in need, for example. And a specialized sense is to formally declare a verdict in a court case. Render derives from the Latin verb reddere, "to restore," from the prefix re-, "back," plus dare, "to give."

Example Sentences

He added that he feels his only option is to "dismantle the cottages and render them unhabitable" by removing the kitchens and bathrooms.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Scientists may need to be deployed with the troops to dilute the uranium to render it safe.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Ford’s current Universal Electric Vehicle platform—designed to render a midsize EV pickup starting around $30,000 in 2027—will use LFP tech licensed from CATL.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

“Osborn’s reliance on the X-ray meant he would not take the required steps to render the device safe.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

They aren’t cola experts, and to force them to be—to ask too much of them—is to render their reactions useless.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• carry out
• depict
• display
• do
• give
• interpret
• perform
• portray
• represent