borrowed; borrowing; borrows
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
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.
: to borrow something
borrows heavily from Nietzsche
see also:
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 $20 from me.
The speech was peppered with phrases borrowed from Winston Churchill.
She borrowed the technique from local artisans.
Recent Examples on the Web
Timotheé Chalamet has picked up a habit for borrowing Kylie Jenner’s mini Kelly, and A$AP Rocky is very much in his Chanel bag era like Styles, while also being spotted toting gargantuan Louis Vuitton bags (Rihanna’s influence) and chic Celine luggage.
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
Fresh off her Chanel Paris Fashion Week appearance on March 9, Taylor also borrowed from Schiaparelli’s runway for her accessories.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
By marking down the collateral for that leverage, JPMorgan is reducing the ability of private credit firms to borrow against their loans, and in some cases could even force firms to post more collateral.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Library patrons will still be able to borrow and return materials and access free Wi-Fi during the closure due to the bookmobile.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrow
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Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
Fresh off her Chanel Paris Fashion Week appearance on March 9, Taylor also borrowed from Schiaparelli’s runway for her accessories.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
By marking down the collateral for that leverage, JPMorgan is reducing the ability of private credit firms to borrow against their loans, and in some cases could even force firms to post more collateral.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Library patrons will still be able to borrow and return materials and access free Wi-Fi during the closure due to the bookmobile.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrow
Cite this Entry
“Borrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borrow. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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