borrow

verb

bor·​row ˈbär-(ˌ)ō 

ˈbȯr-

borrowed; borrowing; borrows

transitive verb

1

a

: to receive with the implied or expressed intention of returning the same or an equivalent

borrow a book from the library

borrowed a dollar

borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor

b

finance : to borrow (money) with the intention of returning the same plus interest (see interest entry 1 sense 3a)

borrow money from the bank

2

a

: to appropriate for one's own use

borrow a metaphor from Shakespeare

b

: derive, adopt

traditions borrowed from African polytheism

3

mathematics : to take (one) from a digit of the minuend in arithmetical subtraction in order to add as 10 to the digit holding the next lower place

4

: to adopt into one language from another

The English word "entrepreneur" was borrowed from French.

5

dialect : lend

Borrow me your pencil.

intransitive verb

: to borrow something

borrows heavily from Nietzsche

borrower

ˈbär-ə-wər 

ˈbȯr-

noun

Phrases

borrow trouble

: to do something unnecessarily that may result in adverse reaction or repercussions

Synonyms

• adopt
• embrace
• espouse
• take on
• take up

Examples of borrow in a Sentence

The twins often borrow each other's clothes.

I'm borrowing a friend's car for the weekend.

He borrowed the book from the library.

Will you see if we can borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbors?

She borrowed $20 from me.

The speech was peppered with phrases borrowed from Winston Churchill.

She borrowed the technique from local artisans.

Recent Examples on the Web

Prosecutors said that earlier that day, Dorsey called Sarah Bonnie seeking to borrow money to pay two drug dealers who were at his apartment. —CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

That leaves Saudi Arabia having to borrow on capital markets to fulfill its ambitions: Government debt has soared about 20-fold, to $253.6 billion, since 2014, according to research firm CEIC Data. —Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

Typically, the fee for borrowing stock is a fraction of a percentage point. —Joe Rennison, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Local governments borrow money from Wall Street by selling bonds, then use property taxes to pay back the debt over decades. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, white artists routinely borrow production and vocal techniques from Black artists. —Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 1 Apr. 2024

Doctor No producers borrowed real research equipment from labs to create a nuclear facility for the villain grounded in real science. —Leslie Katz, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Toho’s Godzilla movies swing back and forth between silly fun and serious social commentary depending on the state of the Japanese economy, and the way that Japanese and American Godzilla movies borrow from one another says a lot about the cultural dynamics between the two countries. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024

Through some combination of reverence and laziness, American soccer has borrowed many of its chants from the British. —Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English borwen, from Old English borgian; akin to Old English beorgan to preserve — more at bury

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing borrow

• beg, borrow, or/and steal
• borrow/take a page from someone
• borrow pit
• borrow/take a page from someone's book
• borrow a page from
• take/borrow a leaf out of someone's book
• borrow trouble

Kids Definition

borrow

verb

bor·​row ˈbär-ō 

ˈbȯr-

1

: to take or receive something with the promise or intention of returning it

2

: to take for one's own use something begun or thought up by another : adopt

borrow an idea

3

: to take 1 from the digit in a minuend and add it as 10 to the digit in the next lower place

borrower

ˈbär-ə-wər 

ˈbȯr-

noun

Legal Definition

borrow

transitive verb

bor·​row

: to take or receive temporarily

specifically : to receive (money) with the intention of returning the same plus interest

borrower noun

Biographical Definition

Borrow

biographical name

Bor·​row ˈbär-(ˌ)ō 

George Henry 1803–1881 English author