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
Wholesale Last year, Donahoe started to acknowledge Nike needed to mend its relationships with wholesalers, but the company’s board decided that Hill, who spent 32 years with Nike before retiring in 2020, would be the right person to lead its next chapter. Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024 Serbia aspires to join the European Union, but needs to mend ties with Kosovo, a former province whose ethnic Albanian majority declared independence in 2008. Bymisha Savic, Fortune Europe, 26 Sep. 2024
Noun
At the time, a rep for Amos said the doctors drained all of the fluid and Amos had been on the mend. Esther Kang, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024 Nacua is coming off a record-setting rookie season and is on the mend from a knee injury suffered during a joint practice with the Chargers during training camp. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mend 

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 13 Oct. 2024.

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
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