tend

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈtend 

tended; tending; tends

intransitive verb

1

: to exhibit an inclination or tendency : conduce

tends to be optimistic

2

: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction

cannot tell where society is tending

tend

2 of 2

verb (2)

tended; tending; tends

intransitive verb

1

: to pay attention : apply oneself

tend to your own affairs

tend to our correspondence

2

: to act as an attendant : serve

tended to his wife

3

archaic : listen

4

obsolete : await

transitive verb

1

a

: to apply oneself to the care of : watch over

tended her sick father

b

: to have or take charge of as a caretaker or overseer

tend the sheep

c

: cultivate, foster

d

: to manage the operations of : mind

tend the store

tend the fire

2

: to stand by (something, such as a rope) in readiness to prevent mischance (such as fouling)

3

archaic : to attend as a servant

Synonyms of tend

Verb (1)

• lean

Verb (2)

• watch
• supervise
• oversee
• manage
• attend

Examples of tend in a Sentence

Verb (1)

her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

Verb (2)

tend the store while I run an errand

lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden

plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens

the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Predecessors both Republican and Democrat tended to respect the independence of regulators in the antitrust division of the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 13 July 2026

Moreover, the satellites that reside in this unique orbital region tend to be very large and expensive, designed for much longer missions than those making up megaconstellations in low Earth orbit. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 13 July 2026

Studies of inflight medical events consistently find that the most common onboard complaints are fainting or feeling faint, respiratory symptoms, and gastrointestinal distress — not the dramatic emergencies Hollywood tends to depict. — Sriman Swarup, STAT, 13 July 2026

These are railway stations with absolutely minuscule passenger numbers that tend to have, at most, one or two trains a week passing through them. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English tenden "to stretch, spread, direct oneself (to), incline toward," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French tendre "to stretch, hold out, offer, direct (one's course), go, aim (at)," going back to Latin tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English tenden, shortened from attenden "to attend" or entenden, intenden "to intend"

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Phrases Containing tend

• tend bar

Rhymes for tend

• blend
• blende
• denned
• end
• fend
• friend
• lend
• mend
• penned
• send
• spend
• trend

Kids Definition

tend

1 of 2 verb

ˈtend 

1

: to pay attention

tend to business

2

a

: to take care of

b

: to help the growth or development of

tend the garden

3

: to have responsibility for as caretaker

tended sheep

4

: to manage the operation of or do the necessary work connected with

tend the fire

tend

2 of 2 verb

1

: to move or turn in a certain direction

the road tends to the right

2

: to be likely

a person who tends to slouch