English Reference

Word

lend

US/ˈɫɛnd/

UK/lˈɛnd/

Irregular verb

Forms

Infinitive

lend

Past

lent

Past participle

lent

Definitions

01to give temporarily

A2 · Elementary

v. to let someone use something of yours for a while, which they must give back later.

v. to grant the temporary use of something on the condition that it or its equivalent be returned. Transitive, taking both a direct and indirect object.

“I can lend you my umbrella if you promise to bring it back tomorrow.”

“The central bank agreed to lend the struggling firm enough capital to cover its immediate debts and avoid bankruptcy.”

Usage

Commonly used in the patterns 'lend someone something' or 'lend something to someone'.

Pitfall

Can you lend to me your pen?

Can you lend me your pen?

When using 'lend' with two objects, the person comes first without 'to', or you can say 'lend your pen to me'.

Synonyms

Antonyms

02to be suitable for

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to be good or useful for a particular purpose or activity.

v. to be suitable or applicable to a specific use; frequently used reflexively with 'itself to'.

“The flat surface of the rock lends itself to a perfect picnic spot.”

“The modular design of the software lends itself to easy customisation by third-party developers.”

Usage

Usually appears as 'lend itself to' followed by a noun or gerund.

Synonyms

03to provide a quality

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to give a certain feeling or quality to something.

v. to contribute or impart a specific quality, such as credibility or atmosphere, to a situation.

“The old stone walls lend the house a very traditional character.”

“The presence of several Nobel laureates at the conference served to lend weight to the committee's controversial findings.”

Synonyms

04a loan

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun British English · Dialect

n. the act of letting someone borrow something.

n. the act of lending or the permission to borrow an item.

“Could I have a lend of your ladder for the afternoon?”

“He asked for the lend of a hammer, promising to return it before the hardware store closed for the weekend.”

Teaching tip

This noun use is common in informal British and Irish English, but 'loan' is the standard term in formal writing.

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “lend” in context.

01. finding lend 02. lend credence

Confusables

lend vs borrow

Borrow is taking something from someone; lend is giving something to someone.

RememberBorrow is from; Lend is to.

Etymology

From earlier len (with excrescent -d, as in sound), from Middle English lenen, lænen, from Old English lǣnan (“to lend; give, grant, lease”), from Proto-West Germanic laihnijan, from Proto-Germanic laihnijaną (“to loan”), from Proto-Germanic laihną (“loan”), from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- (“to leave, leave over”). Cognate with Scots len, lend (“to lend”), West Frisian liene (“to lend, borrow, loan”), Dutch lenen (“to lend, borrow, loan”), Danish låne (“to lend, loan”), Swedish låna (“to lend, loan”), Icelandic lána (“to lend, loan”), Icelandic léna (“to grant”), Latin linquō (“quit, leave, forlet”), Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “leave, release”). See also loan.

From Middle English lende (usually in plural as lendes, leendes, lyndes), from Old English lendenu, lendino (“loins”), plural of Old English lenden (“loin”), from Proto-West Germanic landī, from Proto-Germanic landį̄ (“loin”), from Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- (“loin, kidney”). Cognate with Scots lend, leynd (“the loins, flank, buttocks”), Dutch lendenen (“loins, reins”), German Lenden (“loins”), Swedish länder (“loins”), Danish lænd (“loin”), Icelandic lendar (“loins”), Latin lumbus (“loin”) (whence loin), Polish lędźwie (“loins”), Russian ля́двея (ljádveja, “thigh, haunch”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

lend(A2)

Idioms

Domain

Anatomy

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Frequent
Level
A2 · ElementaryOxford
Updated

QR code

englishreference.com/q/lend

English Reference