lean
verb (used without object)
to incline or bend from a vertical position.
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to lean.
lean
1 American
[leen]
/ lin /
verb (used without object)
-
leans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
leaned,
past participle, past
-
leant,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
leaning
present participle
-
to incline or bend from a vertical position.
She leaned out the window.
-
to incline, as in a particular direction; slant.
The post leans to the left.
The building leaned sharply before renovation.
-
to incline in feeling, opinion, action, etc..
to lean toward socialism.
-
to rest against or on something for support.
to lean against a wall.
-
to depend or rely (usually followed by on orupon ).
someone he could lean on in an emergency.
verb (used with object)
-
leans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
leaned,
past participle, past
-
leant,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
leaning
present participle
-
to incline or bend.
He leaned his head forward.
-
to cause to lean or rest; prop.
to lean a chair against the railing.
noun
verb phrase
-
lean on
-
to exert influence or pressure on in order to gain cooperation, maintain discipline, or the like.
The state is leaning on the company to clean up its industrial wastes.
-
to criticize, reprimand, or punish.
I would have enjoyed school more if the teachers hadn't leaned on me so much.
-
-
lean in
-
to shift one's body weight forward or toward someone or something.
Because Don was whispering, I had to lean in so I could hear him.
He stood near home plate and leaned in for the pitch.
-
to embrace risk, be assertive, etc., as to achieve the greatest level of success in the workplace.
She really knows how to lean in—she'll have a corner office before long.
-
idioms
lean
2
American
[leen]
/ lin /
adjective
-
leaner,
comparative
-
leanest
superlative
-
(of persons or animals) without much flesh or fat; not plump or fat; thin.
lean cattle.
- Antonyms:
- fat
-
(of edible meat) containing little or no fat.
- Antonyms:
- fat
-
lacking in richness, fullness, quantity, etc.; poor.
a lean diet; lean years.
- Synonyms:
- jejune, unfruitful, barren, sparse
- Antonyms:
- fruitful
-
spare; economical.
a lean prose style.
-
Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively low ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with rich).
-
(of paint) having more pigment than oil.
-
Nautical. (of a bow) having fine lines; sharp.
-
Metallurgy. (of ore) having a low mineral content; low-grade.
noun
-
the part of flesh that consists of muscle rather than fat.
-
the lean part of anything.
-
Typesetting. matter that is difficult to set because of complexity or intermixed fonts.
Lean
3
American
[leen]
/ lin /
noun
lean
1
British
/ liːn /
adjective
-
(esp of a person or an animal) having no surplus flesh or bulk; not fat or plump
-
not bulky or full
-
(of meat) having little or no fat
-
not rich, abundant, or satisfying
-
(of a mixture of fuel and air) containing insufficient fuel and too much air
a lean mixture
-
(of printer's type) having a thin appearance
-
(of a paint) containing relatively little oil
-
(of an ore) not having a high mineral content
-
(of concrete) made with a small amount of cement
noun
lean
2
British
/ liːn /
verb
-
to rest or cause to rest against a support
-
to incline or cause to incline from a vertical position
-
(intr; foll by to or towards) to have or express a tendency or leaning
-
informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
noun
Lean
3
British
/ liːn /
noun
Usage
What else does lean mean? Content warning: this article contains references to drug abuse. In slang, lean is a term for prescription-strength cough syrup mixed with soft drinks and candy. It’s also known by such other names as purple drank or sizzurp.
Synonym Usage
See thin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
leansimple
-
leanssimple
-
have leanedperfect
-
have leantperfect
-
has leanedperfect
-
has leantperfect
-
am leaningprogressive
-
are leaningprogressive
-
is leaningprogressive
-
have been leaningperfect progressive
-
has been leaningperfect progressive
Past
-
leanedsimple
-
leantsimple
-
had leanedperfect
-
had leantperfect
-
was leaningprogressive
-
were leaningprogressive
-
had been leaningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lean1
First recorded before 900; Middle English lenen, Old English hleonian, hlinian; cognate with German lehnen; akin to Greek klī́nein, Latin -clīnāre “to incline ”
Origin of lean2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lene, lein(e), Old English hlǣne
Explanation
If you lean on something, you incline your body against it, like the way you lean against a wall while waiting in line. If you lean on a person, you rely on her for moral support, like the way you lean on your best friend when you're feeling sad or worried. If you’re tired, lean back in your chair. If you’re broke, lean on your family for financial help. But something can lean all by itself, if it’s not standing straight. The famous Tower of Pisa leans at an angle of about 4 degrees. As an adjective, we use lean to describe something skimpy or lacking excess flesh. When you're experiencing financial difficulty, you could say you're going through lean (not prosperous) times.
Vocabulary lists containing lean
"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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!
Paltry Parlance: Synonyms for "Few"
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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:
Both candidates have attempted to lean away from partisan narratives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
The artificial-intelligence and rocket-launch company’s expensive plans are likely to see it lean heavily on the bond market over the next decade, according to analysts.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
The organization tried to lean on Ohtani’s expertise, noting how unprecedented his career has been.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"There's some very serious considerations around this, but my main message would be we need to lean into it," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
He was too tall, even when she dutifully let him lean down to kiss her once, returning the favor as she began removing the bobby pins one by one from her hair.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
But the balance is delicate: Lean too hard on discounts and Jersey Mike’s risks following Subway’s path, eroding the premium positioning that makes its model work in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Lean your chest forward while extending the other leg behind you like an airplane.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Shopkeeper Dayana Lean, 51, said that "zones one and three" of the complex were the hardest hit.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Lean and wet and smeared with grass, he introduces himself as Lincoln Hedberg from New Jersey.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
“There’s a ladder. Just around the side. Lean forward and reach for it. You’ll find it.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
“We are running a little leaner right now, with less oil in the tanks,” Mahil said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The move marks one of Uber's largest restructurings in years and signals a shift towards a leaner operating model.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Northern sled dogs became compact and heavily coated for cold conditions, while hunting dogs near the equator tended to be leaner and better suited to heat.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Song, an independent AI developer himself, is one of many swapping the most cutting-edge, bells-and-whistles -- and expensive -- models, like Anthropic's Fable 5, for leaner alternatives like V4 Flash.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
He was leaner than Wylan, and his hairline was higher, but Jesper could definitely see the resemblance.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
A commonly eaten meat in Australia, kangaroo is the world’s leanest protein and the equivalent of venison in America.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The CEO concentrated the business, exiting less productive properties and dumping an in-house service arm, and set out a mission to make Pioneer the leanest, profitable and most desirable catch among U.S. shale independents.
From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2023
It's not a lie - I was never the leanest cricketer in the world, but I won games for franchises.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2023
“Certainly, the paper supply has been the leanest it’s ever been,” said Jim Suver, co-chair of a federal election security working group that focuses on supply chain issues.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2022
The advice to omit needless words should not be confused with the puritanical edict that all writers must pare every sentence down to the shortest, leanest, most abstemious version possible.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Nomura analyst Naka Matsuzawa had expected the yen to gain further this week as the Fed leans toward skipping a September rate increase and the case for a BOJ hike strengthens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
No clerk leans across the counter and demands proof that a candle-worthy occasion has actually occurred.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
“The Whisper Man” leans heavily on the twists and turns of its propulsive and menacing plot, which occasionally creaks like stairs to that creepy basement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Blanche leans on Williams’ concession that she cannot void the private contract.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
He leans way over and gives me a smile, eyebrows raised.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
“We pray that they don’t give it away,” he said as we leaned over the boat’s side and looked out at the island over the waves.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Tennis Association has leaned into the Open’s status as a cultural event as well as an athletic one.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Had one scorecard leaned the other way or had the bout failed to deliver on its enormous hype, the momentum behind women's mega-fights would have stalled.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Historically, Jersey Mike’s leaned on broad television audiences and sponsorships—like its NFL partnership with Eli Manning as brand ambassador—while devoting little of its marketing budget to social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Meyer leaned back and stared at the ceiling pensively.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Joshua Robbins, 23, leant on the balcony railings of his home in Holland and Thurston Dwellings, Holborn, when it gave way on 26 January.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Researchers said the work also leant further credence to a theory about humpback whale patterns known as the "Southern Ocean Exchange".
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
The family also claims the new authorities have leant on the courts to find them guilty.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
It leant the audience a discerning sense of agency, as we could control the show but only to a point.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2025
She was returning: of course my heart thumped with impatience against the iron rails I leant upon.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
In June, the New York Times reported that OpenAI was leaning toward delaying its IPO until next year.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
It was eight, two and two—so eight people were leaning towards not responsible, two hadn’t decided, and two thought guilty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“I’m personally more interested in leaning towards local burns because I think that I’m more likely to find community and true connection there,” Dandy, a twenty-something from the Seattle area, said.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Waller said he was leaning against supporting a rate hike in September because it looked as if inflation was finally starting to trend lower.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
“Grandma Sadie, she’s here leaning on the wall.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
