tend

1 of 2

verb (1)

tended; tending; tends

intransitive verb

1
: to exhibit an inclination or tendency : conduce
tends to be optimistic
2
: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction
cannot tell where society is tending

tend

2 of 2

verb (2)

tended; tending; tends

intransitive verb

1
: to pay attention : apply oneself
tend to your own affairs
tend to our correspondence
2
: to act as an attendant : serve
tended to his wife
3
archaic : listen
4
obsolete : await

transitive verb

1
a
: to apply oneself to the care of : watch over
tended her sick father
b
: to have or take charge of as a caretaker or overseer
tend the sheep
d
: to manage the operations of : mind
tend the store
tend the fire
2
: to stand by (something, such as a rope) in readiness to prevent mischance (such as fouling)
3
archaic : to attend as a servant

Examples of tend in a Sentence

Verb (1) her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics Verb (2) tend the store while I run an errand lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Liverpool tend to target their attacking-third entries more on the flanks rather than through the centre, using Salah on the right and, usually, Luis Diaz on the left. Gregg Evans, New York Times, 8 May 2025 When the Financial Action Task Force puts you on their grey list for strategic deficiencies in combating money laundering (even if since removed), investors tend to take note. Lissele Pratt, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 VPNs are one of the easiest ways to maintain your privacy online, but good ones tend to operate on expensive monthly subscriptions. Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 8 May 2025 German teams tend to have the most financial discipline. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tend

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English tenden "to stretch, spread, direct oneself (to), incline toward," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French tendre "to stretch, hold out, offer, direct (one's course), go, aim (at)," going back to Latin tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English tenden, shortened from attenden "to attend" or entenden, intenden "to intend"

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tend was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

tend

1 of 2 verb
1
: to pay attention
tend to business
2
a
: to take care of
b
: to help the growth or development of
tend the garden
3
: to have responsibility for as caretaker
tended sheep
4
: to manage the operation of or do the necessary work connected with
tend the fire

tend

2 of 2 verb
1
: to move or turn in a certain direction
the road tends to the right
2
: to be likely
a person who tends to slouch

More from Merriam-Webster on tend

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