trend
Americannoun
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the general course or prevailing tendency; drift.
trends in the teaching of foreign languages; the trend of events.
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style or vogue.
the new trend in women's apparel.
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the general direction followed by a road, river, coastline, or the like.
verb (used without object)
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to have a general tendency, as events, conditions, etc.
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to tend to take a particular direction; extend in some direction indicated.
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to emerge as a popular trend; be currently popular.
words that have trended this year.
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Digital Technology. to be widely mentioned or discussed on the internet, especially in posts on social media websites.
news stories that are trending online.
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to veer or turn off in a specified direction, as a river, mountain range, etc..
The river trends toward the southeast.
noun
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general tendency or direction
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fashion; mode
verb
Related Words
See tendency.
Other Word Forms
- countertrend noun
- subtrend noun
Etymology
Origin of trend
First recorded before 1000; Middle English trenden “to turn, roll,” Old English trendan; akin to Old English trinde “ball,” Dutch trent “circumference,” Swedish trind “round;” trindle, trundle
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.
Although the rate of inflation was marginal and below the long-run survey trend, companies in the RatingDog survey reported increases in fuel, raw material and labor costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The earnings trend for big U.S. companies has been sublime.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
She feared being called a clone, or a try-hard who’d hopped on a trend.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The rate of ascent has slowed over the past two days as SPX has rallied, but these won’t be on buy signals until they roll over and begin to trend lower.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
The Fish and Wildlife Service has found it necessary to express serious concern over this trend, pointing out that “parathion treated areas constitute a potential hazard to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.”
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
