lean

1 of 5

verb (1)

leaned ˈlēnd How to pronounce lean (audio)
 chiefly British  ˈlent
; leaning ˈlē-niŋ How to pronounce lean (audio) ; leans

intransitive verb

1
a
: to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position
He leaned back in his chair.
b
: to cast one's weight to one side for support
Lean on me as we walk.
2
: to rely for support or inspiration
… preferred not to lean on his father in building a career.Current Biography
3
: to incline in opinion, taste, or desire
leaning toward a career in chemistry

transitive verb

: to cause to lean : incline
The boy leaned his head on his mother's shoulder.

see also lean in, lean on

lean

2 of 5

noun (1)

: the act or an instance of leaning : inclination

lean

3 of 5

adjective

1
a
: lacking or deficient in flesh
b
: containing little or no fat
lean meat
2
: lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness
lean profits
the lean years
3
: deficient in an essential or important quality or ingredient: such as
a
of ore : containing little valuable mineral
b
: low in combustible component
used especially of fuel mixtures
4
: characterized by economy (as of style, expression, or operation)
leanly adverb
leanness noun

lean

4 of 5

verb (2)

leaned; leaning; leans

transitive verb

: to make lean

lean

5 of 5

noun (2)

: the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle
Choose the Right Synonym for lean

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

Examples of lean in a Sentence

Adjective She has a lean, athletic body. all of the marathoners are extremely lean
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Fuller suggests that people leave for their daily commute five to 10 minutes earlier, leaning toward 10 minutes just to be safe. The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Sometimes these books lean more toward the fantasy side of things; sometimes romance is the primary focus. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Loving Music Takes Action Since 2017, on each anniversary of her birth, Liu Lian has unveiled a solitary opus that leans more toward personal introspection. Billboard China, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 And the new legislative maps do make significant changes — such as creating a district in the Fox Valley that leans Democratic. Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 With the judge’s tentative ruling leaning heavily in Cher’s favor, Schacht spent the last portion of his argument Monday on a possible compromise proposal. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 Both the 2022 and 2023 events leaned heavily into the theme of education, and included a reading nook, talent show, snack time tent and more. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 To support its goal to diversify the economy, Alberta is leaning into tourism development, capitalizing on the iconic Canadian Rockies, six UNESCO world heritage sites, prehistoric fossil beds, and vibrant and diverse cultures. Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2024 Conventional wisdom has long held that higher turnout benefits candidates who lean left. Marcela Valdes, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The race is rated lean Democrat by both the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 And again, the legislating for lean software is through demanding better security. Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2024 One of the hardiest superfood plants that thrive in lean, dry, sunny sites, these plants, which are covered with thorns, are a great candidate for security hedges to keep unwanted visitors from easily getting into the garden. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 At a lean $2.86 a share, Winfrey’s stake is worth a heavy $3.18 million. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The sharp shoulders and the long, lean silhouette are sure to garner a ton of compliments on chilly spring days. Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 More intelligent hiring keeps teams lean, focused and driven. Al Khan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 His routine includes a healthy diet of lean meats and vegetables, daily walks and workouts three times a week. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024 Tortillas, eggs, bread, blueberries, oatmeal, some sort of lean protein, butter, spinach. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Under that plan, 12 of the 16 Senate seats on the 2024 ballot would have a Democratic lean (instead of 10 under the Evers map). Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 The blend of brunette and bronze felt like a culmination of moments, an encapsulation of a larger lean toward warmer hair colors and an evolving spectrum of redhead hues. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2023 The living room is devoted to The Avengers, with a heavy lean toward Captain America. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 There are no restrictions on purchases like some streamers have, and there’s no proprietary lean toward one service or another. Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Like every bonafide sailing yacht, Sea Cloud Spirit heels (leans) when the sails are up. Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023 No proprietary lean: Some devices are from companies that also have their own streaming platforms, including Amazon and Apple. Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Levesque’s approach to office wear leans towards comfortable classics, subtly infused with a hint of fun. Maia Torres, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2023 As with the collective lean into copper colors, the year's bevy of blonde represented the entire shade spectrum, from frosty platinums to toasty toffees, woven highlights to single-toned hues. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; akin to Old High German hlinēn to lean, Greek klinein, Latin clinare

Adjective

Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne

First Known Use

Verb (1)

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

Noun (1)

1776, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

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

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lean was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lean

Cite this Entry

“Lean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lean

1 of 4 verb
leaned ˈlēnd How to pronounce lean (audio)
 chiefly British  ˈlent
; leaning ˈlē-niŋ How to pronounce lean (audio)
1
a
: to slant or cause to slant or bend from an upright position
the tree leans to one side
lean a ladder against a wall
b
: to cast one's weight to one side for support
lean on me
2
: to depend for support
lean on one's family in a crisis
3
: to tend in opinion, taste, or desire
lean toward simplicity

lean

2 of 4 noun
: the act or an instance of leaning

lean

3 of 4 adjective
1
a
: having little body fat
lean cattle
b
: containing little or no fat
lean meat
2
: lacking richness or fullness
a lean fuel-air mixture
leanness noun

lean

4 of 4 noun
: the part of meat that consists mainly of fat-free muscle
Etymology

Verb

Old English hleonian "to slant to one side"

Adjective

Old English hlǣne "having very little body flesh"

Biographical Definition

Lean

biographical name

Sir David 1908–1991 British film director

More from Merriam-Webster on lean

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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