tend
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a certain habit.
to be likely to do something or to happen in a particular way; often used as a catenative verb followed by a 'to'-infinitive.
Simple“I tend to wake up early on weekends even when I don't have to.”
In context“Prices tend to fluctuate during the holiday season as demand for luxury goods reaches its annual peak.”
UsageUsually followed by 'to' and another verb.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to take care of someone or something, like a garden or a sick person.
to care for or look after someone or something; transitive use requiring a direct object.
Simple“He spent the whole afternoon tending his vegetable garden.”
In context“The nurse remained by the bedside throughout the night to tend the patient's wounds and monitor her vital signs.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
to move or point in a certain direction or toward a result.
to move, lean, or contribute toward a particular direction, result, or outcome.
Simple“Recent developments tend toward a peaceful solution to the conflict.”
In context“The evidence presented during the trial seemed to tend toward a verdict of innocence, though the jury remained undecided for days.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
to manage a boat's position when the tide changes.
to manage an anchored vessel during a tide change to prevent the cable from becoming fouled.
Simple“The crew had to tend the ship carefully as the tide turned in the narrow bay.”
In context“Failure to tend the vessel during the swing resulted in the anchor chain becoming entangled with the rudder assembly.”
Usage tends to get · tend to focus · tend to look
From Middle English *tenden, from Old French tendre (“to stretch, stretch out, hold forth, offer, tender”), from Latin tendere (“to stretch, stretch out, extend, spread out”).
From Middle English tenden, by apheresis of attenden (“to attend”). More at attend.
From Middle English tenden, from Old English tendan (“to kindle, set on fire”) (usually in compounds ātendan, fortendan, ontendan), from Proto-Germanic *tandijaną (“to kindle”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Danish tænde (“to kindle”), Swedish tända (“to ignite”), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (tandjan, “to kindle”), Icelandic tendra (“to ignite”), German zünden (“to light, ignite, fire”). Related to tinder.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.