lean

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈlēn 

leaned ˈlēnd 

 chiefly British  ˈlent

; leaning ˈlē-niŋ  ; leans

intransitive verb

1

a

: to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position

He leaned back in his chair.

b

: to cast one's weight to one side for support

Lean on me as we walk.

2

: to rely for support or inspiration

… preferred not to lean on his father in building a career.

—Current Biography

3

: to incline in opinion, taste, or desire

leaning toward a career in chemistry

transitive verb

: to cause to lean : incline

The boy leaned his head on his mother's shoulder.

see also lean in, lean on

lean

2 of 5

noun (1)

: the act or an instance of leaning : inclination

lean

3 of 5

adjective

1

a

: lacking or deficient in flesh

b

: containing little or no fat

lean meat

2

: lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness

lean profits

the lean years

3

: deficient in an essential or important quality or ingredient: such as

a

of ore : containing little valuable mineral

b

: low in combustible component

—used especially of fuel mixtures

4

: characterized by economy (as of style, expression, or operation)

leanly adverb

leanness

ˈlēn-nəs 

noun

lean

4 of 5

verb (2)

leaned; leaning; leans

transitive verb

: to make lean

lean

5 of 5

noun (2)

: the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• angle
• cant
• cock
• heel
• incline
• list
• pitch
• slant
• slope
• tilt
• tip

Noun (1)

• cant
• diagonal
• grade
• gradient
• inclination
• incline
• pitch
• rake
• slant
• slope
• upgrade

Adjective

• bony
• boney
• fatless
• lithe
• skinny
• slender
• slim
• spare
• svelte
• thin

Choose the Right Synonym for lean

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

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

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

Examples of lean in a Sentence

Verb (1)

just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it

the family's diet leans toward greasy food

you can always lean on me if you need help

Noun (1)

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

Adjective

She has a lean, athletic body.

all of the marathoners are extremely lean

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Friday showed Black families in an authentically humane way without leaning into tragedy or stereotypes. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025

One of the simplest ways to make running feel a little easier is to lean into your strides. —Jennifer Heimlich, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025

Adjective

With between-the-tackles runner Ray Davis on the roster for the next three seasons, a pass-catching presence would be the likely lean if the Bills do take one. —Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

At the current sales pace, that is equivalent to a 4-month supply, which is still on the lean side. —Diana Olick, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025

Noun

The show’s perspective, it’s got a cultural lean to it, and that’s one of the positive things about being involved. —Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2025

In Europe, the German publishing giant’s media holdings are known for their conservative lean. —Liam Reilly, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; akin to Old High German hlinēn to lean, Greek klinein, Latin clinare

Adjective

Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1776, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lean

• lean and mean
• lean in
• lean on
• lean over backward
• lean-to

Rhymes for lean

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• chine
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• jean
• keen

Kids Definition

lean

1 of 4 verb

ˈlēn 

leaned ˈlēnd 

 chiefly British  ˈlent

; leaning ˈlē-niŋ 

1

a

: to slant or cause to slant or bend from an upright position

the tree leans to one side

lean a ladder against a wall

b

: to cast one's weight to one side for support

lean on me

2

: to depend for support

lean on one's family in a crisis

3

: to tend in opinion, taste, or desire

lean toward simplicity

lean

2 of 4 noun

: the act or an instance of leaning

lean

3 of 4 adjective

1

a

: having little body fat

lean cattle

b

: containing little or no fat

lean meat

2

: lacking richness or fullness

a lean fuel-air mixture

leanness

ˈlēn-nəs 

noun

lean

4 of 4 noun

: the part of meat that consists mainly of fat-free muscle

Etymology

Verb

Old English hleonian "to slant to one side"

Adjective

Old English hlǣne "having very little body flesh"

Biographical Definition

Lean

biographical name

ˈlēn 

Sir David 1908–1991 British film director