Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lend

/ˈlɛnd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.92 in modern English

Syllables
lend
IPA
/ˈlɛnd/
5
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.

Transitive verb

verb

To make a loan.

Intransitive verb

verb

To be suitable or applicable, to fit.

verb

To afford; to grant or furnish in general.

verb

To borrow.

noun

Loan (permission to borrow (something)).

noun

The lumbar region; loin.

British usage

noun

The loins; flank; buttocks.

British usage

Example Sentences

Etymology

From earlier len (with excrescent -d, as in sound), from Middle English lenen, lænen, from Old English lǣnan (“to lend; give, grant, lease”), from Proto-West Germanic *laihnijan, from Proto-Germanic *laihnijaną (“to loan”), from Proto-Germanic *laihną (“loan”), from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave, leave over”). Cognate with Scots len, lend (“to lend”), West Frisian liene (“to lend, borrow, loan”), Dutch lenen (“to lend, borrow, loan”), Danish låne (“to lend, loan”), Swedish låna (“to lend, loan”), Icelandic lána (“to lend, loan”), Icelandic léna (“to grant”), Latin linquō (“quit, leave, forlet”), Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “leave, release”). See also loan.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: lenen, lǣnan, *laihnijan, *laihnijaną, *laihną, *leykʷ-

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈlɛnd/
  • British English: /ˈlɛnd/

Usage

Inflected Forms

lends (present, singular) lending (participle, present) lent (participle, past) lent (past) lends (plural) leynd (alternative) leind (alternative) lind (alternative) lende (alternative)

Derived Forms

forelend forlend interlend lendability lendable lendee lender nonlending onlend overlend relend

Phrases

have a lend of someone lease-lend lend a hand lend an ear lend itself to lend-lease lend to believe give back

Frequently Paired Words

give back loan pay back lender

Synonyms

lease lend let loan impart bestow contribute add bring

Homonyms

lind (pin–pen merger)

Antonyms

borrow call sell

Rhymes With

end high-end friend send dead-end spend recommend tend attend trend defend extend

Questions

How do you pronounce lend?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlɛnd/.
What does lend mean?
To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
Where does lend come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce lend

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lend”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈlɛnd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “lend”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “lend” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.