Synonyms of lean

lean 1 of 3

verb

ˈlēn 

1

as in to tilt

to set or cause to be at an angle

just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tilt
• slope
• angle
• incline
• tip
• heel
• cant
• cock
• slant
• list
• pitch
• bend
• deviate
• bank
• descend
• veer
• retreat
• swerve
• recline
• decline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• level
• flatten
• even

2

as in to tend

to show a liking or proneness (for something)

the family's diet leans toward greasy food

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tend
• incline
• run
• trend
• go
• gravitate
• indicate
• suggest
• point

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoid
• shun
• shy (from or away from)

3

as in to rely

to place reliance or trust

you can always lean on me if you need help

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rely
• depend
• count
• call upon
• stand on
• look to
• call on
• calculate
• trust
• bank on
• reckon
• figure on
• confide
• commit
• intrust
• entrust

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suspect
• question
• distrust
• mistrust

lean

2 of 3

adjective

as in skinny

having a noticeably small amount of body fat

all of the marathoners are extremely lean

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skinny
• thin
• slender
• bony
• slim
• angular
• gaunt
• svelte
• lithe
• trim
• skeletal
• boney
• spare
• fatless
• haggard
• wiry
• scrawny
• willowy
• lanky
• sinewy
• lank
• rawboned
• spindly
• weedy
• rangy
• reedy
• clean-limbed
• stringy
• scraggy
• emaciated
• twiggy
• anorexic
• sylphlike
• wizened
• waspish
• pinched
• meager
• cadaverous
• puny
• meagre
• slight
• anorectic
• anoretic
• wasted
• spindling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fat
• plump
• obese
• overweight
• chubby
• corpulent
• thick
• heavy
• rotund
• stocky
• gross
• beefy
• bulky
• fleshy
• stout
• tubby
• portly
• chunky
• weighty
• heavyset
• thickset
• burly
• brawny
• husky
• squat
• pudgy
• stubby
• dumpy
• soft
• flabby
• paunchy
• potbellied
• round
• full
• buxom
• roly-poly
• hippy
• zaftig
• zoftig

lean

3 of 3

noun

as in slope

the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon

the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slope
• inclination
• incline
• gradient
• pitch
• diagonal
• slant
• rake
• climb
• ascent
• cant
• bank
• upgrade
• grade
• rise

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fall
• dip
• decline
• hanging
• descent
• declivity
• declination
• downgrade
• declension
• hang
• receding

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lean contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of lean are gaunt, lanky, lank, rawboned, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

When is gaunt a more appropriate choice than lean?

The words gaunt and lean can be used in similar contexts, but gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is it sensible to use lank instead of lean?

The words lank and lean are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When would lanky be a good substitute for lean?

The synonyms lanky and lean are sometimes interchangeable, but lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

In what contexts can rawboned take the place of lean?

The meanings of rawboned and lean largely overlap; however, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

How do scrawny and skinny relate to one another, in the sense of lean?

Both scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

When could spare be used to replace lean?

While the synonyms spare and lean are close in meaning, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lean

Verb

The move would effectively dilute the voting power of Missouri’s largest city, combining the voters in Kansas City’s urban areas with residents living in the rural, Republican-leaning parts of the state. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025

Tom Rath, co-author of StrengthsFinder, told me that leaning into natural talents is often the fastest path to confidence and performance gains. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Instead, Castilla says youths can eat a nutritious diet packed with fruits, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains, since studies have shown a strong connection between a healthy gut and clear skin. —Khanh T.l. Tran, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025

The food menu will be lean and could include soup. —Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Noun

While the second-term senator has been a formidable candidate and will benefit from the conservative lean of her state, some Republicans acknowledge the comments could follow her into the midterms. —Julia Mueller, The Hill, 3 June 2025

Democrats are hoping a strong national environment will give them a chance at flipping the Senate seat, but Republicans are hoping its conservative lean will keep it off the board. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

Phrases Containing lean

• lean (toward or towards)