ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lean

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɫin// UK //lˈiːn// lean Archaic General-service Slang

adj. describing someone who is thin and healthy, or a business that uses very little money and few workers to get the job done.

adj. characterised by a lack of excess fat or, in a commercial context, by the minimisation of waste and inefficiency.


SIMPLE

The athlete has a lean and muscular build.

CONTEXTUAL

The startup remained lean during its first year by hiring only essential staff and working from a shared office.

COMPLEX

By adopting lean manufacturing principles, the factory significantly reduced its overhead costs while simultaneously increasing the speed of its production line.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies; often used in business to describe efficiency.

Pitfall

he leans to the wallhe leans against the wallWhen resting weight on a surface, 'against' or 'on' is required; 'to' is used for directions or preferences.

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