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

Make it against the law for corporations to rip us off on basic household items, rent and food. —Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

Just months into the pandemic, Matthew Haines, like landlords across the country, learned he was barred from evicting tenants who didn’t pay their rent under a federal eviction moratoriumthat lasted almost a year — costing him and his investors over $1 million. —Michael Casey, Fortune, 3 May 2026

Verb

The bill was authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, who aimed to push back against wealthy investors scooping up and then renting out homes. —Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Personally, renting a car is old hat. —Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026