# lend

/ˈɫɛnd/ (US) · /lˈɛnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lend
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to give temporarily

verb · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. to be suitable for

verb · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to provide a quality

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to give a certain feeling or quality to something.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. a loan

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Dialect

the act of letting someone borrow something.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Can you lend me your pen for a second?
- The bank agreed to lend the small business enough money to open a second location downtown.
- While libraries primarily lend physical books, many have expanded their services to include digital lending of audiobooks and academic journals to reach a wider audience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.