trend

noun

\ ˈtrend

Definition of trend

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a prevailing tendency or inclination : drift current trends in education

b : a general movement : swing the trend toward suburban living

c : a current style or preference : vogue new fashion trends

d : a line of development : approach new trends in cancer research

2 : the general movement over time of a statistically detectable change also : a statistical curve reflecting such a change

3 : a line of general direction or movement the trend of the coast turned toward the west

trend

verb

trended; trending; trends

Definition of trend (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to show a tendency : incline prices trending upward

b : to become deflected : shift opinions trending toward conservatism

2a : to extend in a general direction : follow a general course mountain ranges trending north and south

b : to veer in a new direction : bend a coastline that trends westward

3 : to generate or attract a lot of interest or attention especially online and in social media a trending news story … a database that combs about 42 sources, including blogs, social media, peer-to-peer sites, video destinations, Twitter and popular Web sites to present a complete view of how brands, topics and ideas are trending online.— Daisy Whitney

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about trend

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Synonyms for trend

Synonyms: Noun

current, direction, drift, leaning, run, tendency, tide, wind

Synonyms: Verb

incline, lean, run, tend

Choose the Right Synonym for trend

Noun

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction. tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force. a general tendency toward inflation trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course. the long-term trend of the stock market is upward drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces the drift of the population away from large cities or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse. got the drift of her argument tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course. the tenor of the times current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course. an encounter that changed the current of my life

Examples of trend in a Sentence

Noun

the downward trend of the stock market Digital technology is the latest trend in television. There is a disturbing trend toward obesity in children.

Verb

during the winter our school system trends toward canceling school at the drop of a hat—or at least a snowflake the river trends east, then west again, forming an oxbow

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The next year will also see a battle to determine exactly how many cameras make a phone most appealing, while the current trend of adding gradients and iridescence under the rear glass is likely to escalate to new heights of expressiveness. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "2018 was a weird notch year — what’s next?," 18 Dec. 2018 Moth Lamp Perhaps the most bewilderingly entertaining online trend of the year was the Internet's absurd fixation with moths. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "22 Memes That Made 2018 Less Horrible," 17 Dec. 2018 The neutral nail color trend within the Royal Family has been a thing since 1989. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "How Meghan Markle Broke Royal Protocol at The Fashion Awards," 11 Dec. 2018 The trend towards smaller camper vans is already prolific in Europe, where many families opt for campers that can serve both as weekend retreats and daily commuters. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Affordable pop-top transforms your van into a camper for $7K," 5 Dec. 2018 The third trend is the increasing sophistication and declining cost of information and communication technology (ICT). — David Roberts, Vox, "Clean energy technologies threaten to overwhelm the grid. Here’s how it can adapt.," 30 Nov. 2018 The most striking trend in suicide deaths is their geographic distribution. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "US life expectancy continues to move in reverse," 29 Nov. 2018 The exercise commuting trend is growing particularly fast in certain states. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "The 2 Things That Will Help Motivate You to Be More Active, According to a New Strava Report," 28 Nov. 2018 Two powerful trends are at work: a labor shortage amid the tightest job market in almost five decades, and the propensity for longer-living Americans to keep working — even part-time — to supplement often-meager retirement savings. — Leslie Patton, The Seattle Times, "Senior citizens are replacing teenagers as fast-food workers," 13 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In fact, by Thursday afternoon, the boots were trending on Twitter and were nearly sold out on the Balenciaga website. — Nadra Nittle, Vox, "“Now, I’m free to do whatever”: Michelle Obama explains her $3,900 Balenciaga boots," 20 Dec. 2018 Delinquencies of greater than 90 days have been trending higher for all auto loans since 2012, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. — Ben Eisen, WSJ, "Investors Rev Up the Risk in Subprime Auto Deals," 1 Dec. 2018 Before the accident, her priorities had already been trending toward people, not things. — Jesse Kornbluth, ELLE Decor, "Carolyne Roehm Is the O.G. Lifestyle Maven and Her New Book Shows Why She Still Inspires," 18 Oct. 2018 New home sales fell to an eight-month low in June, although have generally been trending upward. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Is the housing market starting to cool off?," 2 Aug. 2018 But as Oliver points out, the things that Facebook apologizes for in its original ad — like rampant clickbait, data misuse, and virally trending false stories — didn’t happen in a vacuum. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "John Oliver fixes Facebook’s apology ad to remind you that the company still doesn’t care about you," 30 July 2018 On Twitter, the hashtag #HowDemiHasHelpedMe started trending and it was filled with many messages of hope. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Demi Lovato’s Fans Are Sharing Powerful Stories About How She’s Changed Their Lives," 25 July 2018 Some of the conservative media commentators and political pundits specifically urged Dorsey during their meetings to take a closer look at Moments, a feature that tracks trending national stories and issues. — Tony Romm, chicagotribune.com, "Inside Facebook and Twitter's secret meetings with Trump aides and conservative leaders," 27 June 2018 Over the past few years, Hasbro’s stock has trended up while Mattel’s has retreated. — Elizabeth Winkler, WSJ, "Toy Sorry: Why the Holiday Season May Give Hasbro, Mattel a Lump of Coal," 7 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.