Synonyms of rent

rent 1 of 2

noun

1

as in tear

a long deep cut

getting her skirt caught on a nail resulted in a four-inch rent that she couldn't possibly repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tear
• slit
• slash
• rip
• scratch
• fracture
• injury
• gash
• scrape
• incision
• laceration
• score
• wound
• abrasion
• snag
• rupture
• crack

2

as in gap

an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)

peered through the rent in the old garden wall for a glimpse of her mysterious new neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gap
• hole
• opening
• crevice
• interval
• break
• breach
• crack
• rift
• discontinuity
• fissure
• separation
• hiatus
• void
• slit
• gulf
• split
• slot
• interstice
• cleft
• severance
• cavity
• pore
• fracture
• aperture
• notch
• orifice
• cranny
• chink
• rupture
• abyss
• gape
• chasm
• interspace
• sundering

rent

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to lease

to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment

we rented the apartment to a college student for $500 a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lease
• hire
• let
• sublet
• charter
• sublease
• lodge
• engage
• rack-rent

2

as in to hire

to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum

will need to rent a car while we're in Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hire
• lease
• charter
• engage
• sublet
• book
• sublease
• check out
• order
• arrange (for)
• reserve
• contract (for)
• sign up (for)
• bespeak

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rent different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rent are charter, hire, lease, and let. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent

will not rent to families with children

Where would charter be a reasonable alternative to rent?

The words charter and rent can be used in similar contexts, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of rent?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer

decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When would lease be a good substitute for rent?

The meanings of lease and rent largely overlap; however, lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rent

Noun

The average rent in Johnson County sits at $1,800 per month, according to county data. — Taylor O'Connor 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026

In one instance, an investigator called Jardine Hollywood, an apartment complex located on De Longpre Avenue, asking about availability for two-bedroom apartments and whether Section 8 vouchers could be used to pay rent. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Verb

Fifth Avenue duplex The actor, along with her then-boyfriend, Raffaello Follieri, rented a $37,000-a-month five-bedroom duplex in Midtown Manhattan’s Olympic Tower in the mid-2000s. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026

Meta recently announced plans to launch a cloud business that would rent excess computing capacity to outside customers, which Jim has spent weeks advocating for . — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026