- 1 [transitive] to give something to somebody or allow them to use something that belongs to you, which they have to return to you later synonym loan lend (out) something (to somebody) I've lent the car to a friend. lend somebody something Can you lend me your car this evening? Has he returned that book you lent him? Which Word?borrow / lend These two words are often confused. You borrow something from someone else, while they lend it to you:Can I borrow your pen? Can I borrow a pen from you? Here, I’ll lend you my pen. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbkindly verb + lendbe prepared to, be ready to, be willing to, … prepositionto See full entry
- 2 [transitive, intransitive] (of a bank or financial institution) to give money to somebody on condition that they pay it back over a period of time and pay interest on it synonym loan lend (something) (to somebody) The bank refused to lend the money to us. lend somebody something They refused to lend us the money. compare borrow Wordfinderloancredit, debt, deposit, interest, lend, loan, money, mortgage, overdraft, risk Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbkindly verb + lendbe prepared to, be ready to, be willing to, … prepositionto See full entry See related entries: Buying a home, Banking
- 3[transitive] (formal) to give a particular quality to a person or a situation lend something (to somebody/something) The setting sun lent an air of melancholy to the scene. lend somebody/something sth Her presence lent the occasion a certain dignity.
- 4[transitive] to give or provide help, support, etc. lend something (to somebody/something) I was more than happy to lend my support to such a good cause. lend somebody/something sth He came along to lend me moral support. More Like This Verbs with two objects bet, bring, build, buy, cost, get, give, leave, lend, make, offer, owe, pass, pay, play, post, promise, read, refuse, sell, send, show, sing, take, teach, tell, throw, wish, writeSee worksheet. Word OriginOld English lǣnan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lenen, also to loan. The addition of the final -d in late Middle English was due to association with verbs such as bend and send.Extra examples She very kindly lent me her bicycle. The bank was unwilling to lend him the money. Banks are less willing to lend in these uncertain times. I’ve lent the car to a friend.Idioms
- 1to let it be known in public that you support or agree with something I am more than happy to lend my name to this campaign.
- 2to have a place named after you
verb jump to other results
BrE BrE//lend//; NAmE NAmE//lend//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they lend BrE BrE//lend//; NAmE NAmE//lend//
he / she / it lends BrE BrE//lendz//; NAmE NAmE//lendz//
past simple lent BrE BrE//lent//; NAmE NAmE//lent//
past participle lent BrE BrE//lent//; NAmE NAmE//lent//
-ing form lending BrE BrE//ˈlendɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈlendɪŋ//
Buying a home, Bankingto help somebody
(British English) to make something seem true or probable Most of the available evidence lends colour to this view.
to listen in a patient and sympathetic way to somebody
(informal) to help somebody with something I went over to see if I could lend a hand.
to make something seem more likely to be true or genuine This latest evidence lends support to her theory. Phrasal Verbslend itself to
Check pronunciation: lend
