mend

1 of 2

verb

mended; mending; mends

transitive verb

1
: to free from faults or defects: such as
a
: to improve in manners or morals : reform
was advised to mend his ways
b
: to set right : correct
mend a corrupt text
c
: to put into good shape or working order again : patch up : repair
the roads were never mendedEllen Glasgow
d
: to improve or strengthen (something, such as a relationship) by negotiation or conciliation
used chiefly in the phrase mend fences
spends the weekend mending political fencesE. O. Hauser
e
: to restore to health : cure
before the bone was fully mendedCurrent Biography
2
: to make amends or atonement for
least said, soonest mended

intransitive verb

1
: to improve morally : reform
It's never too late to mend.
2
: to become corrected or improved
depression and lack of spirit mended visiblyArnold Nicholson
3
: to improve in health
also : heal
his injury mended rather quickly
mendable adjective
mender noun

mend

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of mending : repair
2
: a mended place
Phrases
on the mend
: getting better : improving
Choose the Right Synonym for mend

mend, repair, patch, rebuild mean to put into good order something that is injured, damaged, or defective.

mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn, or injured.

mended the torn dress

repair applies to the fixing of more extensive damage or dilapidation.

repaired the back steps

patch implies an often temporary fixing of a hole or break with new material.

patch worn jeans

rebuild suggests making like new without completely replacing.

a rebuilt automobile engine

Examples of mend in a Sentence

Verb The town needs to mend these roads. Fishermen were mending their nets. Her arm mended slowly after surgery. His broken heart never completely mended. Noun You can hardly see the mend in the sleeve.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In a preview for next week's episode of The Kardashians, Tristan, 32, appears to be taking steps to mend his relationships with Kourtney and Kylie Jenner after cheating on Khloé multiple times. Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023 The approach was inspired by the Black Panthers and sought to mend the divisions engendered by gang life. Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 As a result, Washington’s Arab allies began to rethink the region’s security architecture, strengthening outreach to China, for example, and more recently mending ties with longtime adversary Iran. Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023 The deceleration comes at a time when the world has yet to fully mend from a devastating but short-lived COVID-19 recession in 2020 and now could see fallout from the Middle East conflict — particularly to oil prices. Time, 10 Oct. 2023 Family will break your heart and bruise your heart and mend your heart like no one else can — not always in that order, and sometimes all three at once. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 Oct. 2023 For the first time, scientists have observed solid metal mending its own cracks without human intervention, defying fundamental theories of materials science. Lucy Tu, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023 Washing thousands of loads of laundry, ironing, mending, sewing clothes and underwear. Sheila McCann, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Sep. 2023 If so, this Fisher-Price Medical Playset has everything needed to equip your mini-medic with the necessary tools to mend their patients. Samantha McIntyre, Parents, 24 Oct. 2023
Noun
Following her latest ordeal, Stella is already on the mend and has regained 11 pounds since her return. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 23 Oct. 2023 Sophia Loren is on the mend after undergoing surgery. Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023 Liam Payne is out of the hospital and on the mend, his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy shared on Tuesday (Sept. 19). Anna Chan, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2023 Baylor 20-13, No. 12 Utah has now won two non-conference games against Power Five competition without starting quarterback Cam Rising, who is still on the mend after last year's knee injury. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023 Is Meredith Marks and Lisa Barlow's friendship on the mend? During Tuesday's season 4 premiere episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, viewers saw Marks and Barlow make plans to work on their strained friendship. Maggie Kreienberg, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023 The 65-year-old diva is on the mend following a bacterial infection that kept her in hospital for several days and forced back her touring schedule. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2023 Elton John, 76, is on the mend after falling at his home in the south of France over the weekend. Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2023 Inflation was muted, unemployment elevated and economic growth on the mend. Sarah Chaney Cambon, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mend.' 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

Middle English, short for amenden — more at amend

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mend was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near mend

Cite this Entry

“Mend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mend. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

mend

1 of 2 verb
1
: to improve in manners or morals : reform
2
: to put into good shape or working order again
3
: to improve in health
also : heal
mendable adjective
mender noun

mend

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of mending : repair
2
: a mended place

Medical Definition

mend

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to restore to health : cure
time will mend the broken bone

intransitive verb

: to improve in health
also : heal

mend

2 of 2 noun
: an act of mending or repair

More from Merriam-Webster on mend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!