leaning 1 of 3

as in oblique
running in a slanting direction the leaning tower of Pisa is a popular tourist attraction in Italy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

leaning

2 of 3

noun

leaning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of lean

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun leaning contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of leaning are penchant, proclivity, and propensity. While all these words mean "a strong instinct or liking for something," leaning suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable.

a student with artistic leanings

When might penchant be a better fit than leaning?

In some situations, the words penchant and leaning are roughly equivalent. However, penchant implies a strongly marked taste in the person or an irresistible attraction in the object.

a penchant for taking risks

When is proclivity a more appropriate choice than leaning?

The words proclivity and leaning can be used in similar contexts, but proclivity suggests a strong natural proneness usually to something objectionable or evil.

a proclivity for violence

In what contexts can propensity take the place of leaning?

The meanings of propensity and leaning largely overlap; however, propensity implies a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination.

a propensity to offer advice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leaning
Noun
But officials in Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties shouldn’t assume they’ll be spared by their political leanings. Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025 But despite Massie's libertarian leanings, presidential support for DeSantis, and occasional opposition to Trump's positions on political issues, he's stayed popular in the Bluegrass State. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Verb
Voila, the best of both worlds entails leaning into generative AI and LLMs as your negotiating tutor. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025 Casually leaning back in a chair, surrounded by other retirees in Plantation, Marc Kaye, 78, expresses the same emotions as Wilde. Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning
Adjective
  • The Sox learned just before Saturday’s game that Vargas would be unavailable after suffering a left oblique strain.
    LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Richardson also has an injury history, having suffered an AC joint sprain in 2023 and then an oblique injury in 2024.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In September, Puck News reported the series faced delays due disagreements between Kaepernick and Lee over the direction of the film.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
  • It’s flipped in that direction, though The Dodgers were playing ugly baseball before the Padres came to town.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Birds love the honeysuckle and porcelain vine fruits and have the infuriating tendency to pass them through their system undamaged, and then deposit them in your garden, in tremendous numbers, encased in a nice little fertilizer packet.
    Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Golubic chalked that up to our natural preference for round numbers, a tendency that’s backed by research.
    Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The trailer for With Love, Meghan was released two weeks ahead of the show's premiere and features the Duchess performing a number of activities from tending to a beehive to arranging flowers at a shop and hosting a mix of friends and celebrity guests.
    Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
  • The trailer for With Love, Meghan was released two weeks ahead of the show's premiere and features the Duchess performing a number of activities from tending to a beehive to arranging flowers at a shop and hosting a mix of friends and celebrity guests.
    Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Heightened by the absence of Klay Thompson’s floor-spacing, Curry has been facing kitchen-sink defenses and relying on role players to relieve the building pressure.
    Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Use curiosity to guide problem-solving instead of relying on control.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Google is going to lift the tide once more on artificial intelligence.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • However, new Gallup polling shows the tide could be turning for the president.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Martone’s positive inclination is also backed by the quality and attention to detail ICR offers, aspects that not only enabled the company to be the first cosmetics firm in Italy to be certified for its quality in 1996, but are embedded in his family roots.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Diamandis told me that our hardwired inclinations toward selfishness did trouble him sometimes, in the middle of the night.
    Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Consolidation has been another trend, with some fretting over Amazon merging Wondery into Audible and cutting staff.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The violent scene the world watched in those videos bears little resemblance to the violence Cincinnati police officers most often encounter on patrol, and the rhetoric on social media about soaring crime rates and rampaging mobs doesn’t reflect short- or long-term trends in the city’s crime data.
    Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Leaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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