Word
tend
US/ˈtɛnd/
UK/tˈɛnd/
Definitions
01to be likely to
B1 · Intermediate
v. to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a certain habit.
v. to be likely to do something or to happen in a particular way; often used as a catenative verb followed by a 'to'-infinitive.
“I tend to wake up early on weekends even when I don't have to.”
“Prices tend to fluctuate during the holiday season as demand for luxury goods reaches its annual peak.”
Usage
Usually followed by 'to' and another verb.
02to look after
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to take care of someone or something, like a garden or a sick person.
v. to care for or look after someone or something; transitive use requiring a direct object.
“He spent the whole afternoon tending his vegetable garden.”
“The nurse remained by the bedside throughout the night to tend the patient's wounds and monitor her vital signs.”
03to lead toward
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to move or point in a certain direction or toward a result.
v. to move, lean, or contribute toward a particular direction, result, or outcome.
日本語:傾く※
“Recent developments tend toward a peaceful solution to the conflict.”
“The evidence presented during the trial seemed to tend toward a verdict of innocence, though the jury remained undecided for days.”
Synonyms
04nautical management
C2 · Proficiency Nautical Technical
v. to manage a boat's position when the tide changes.
v. to manage an anchored vessel during a tide change to prevent the cable from becoming fouled.
“The crew had to tend the ship carefully as the tide turned in the narrow bay.”
“Failure to tend the vessel during the swing resulted in the anchor chain becoming entangled with the rudder assembly.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “tend” in context.
Verb
01. tend fire
“The campers took turns to tend the fire throughout the night.”
verb + noun
02. tend flock
“The shepherd stayed on the hillside all night to tend his flock.”
verb + noun
03. tend garden
“He spends his weekends tending the garden to keep the flowers healthy.”
verb + noun
04. tend to be
“Prices tend to be higher during the peak summer months.”
verb + prep + verb
05. tend to favor
“The current tax laws tend to favor large corporations.”
verb + prep + verb
06. tend to have
“Children tend to have a lot of energy in the morning.”
verb + prep + verb
07. tend toward
“His political views tend toward the conservative side.”
verb + prep
Noun
08. tend to business
“I need to go back to the office and tend to some urgent business.”
verb + prep + noun
09. tend to needs
“The nurses are always available to tend to the needs of the patients.”
verb + prep + noun
10. tend to follow a pattern
“These economic cycles tend to follow a predictable pattern.”
11. tend to run high
“Emotions tend to run high during the final minutes of the game.”
12. tend to the sick
“Volunteers arrived at the camp to tend to the sick and injured.”
Etymology
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.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
Domains
- 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.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL 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: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/tend
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0