lean

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈlēn

leaned ˈlēnd How to pronounce lean (audio)

chiefly British ˈlent

; leaning ˈlē-niŋ How to pronounce lean (audio)

; leans

intransitive verb

: to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position

He leaned back in his chair.

: to cast one's weight to one side for support

Lean on me as we walk.

: to rely for support or inspiration

… preferred not to lean on his father in building a career.

Current Biography

: to incline in opinion, taste, or desire

leaning toward a career in chemistry

transitive verb

: to cause to lean : incline

The boy leaned his head on his mother's shoulder.

noun (1)

: the act or an instance of leaning : inclination

lean

3 of 5

adjective

: lacking or deficient in flesh

: containing little or no fat

lean meat

: lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness

lean profits

the lean years

: deficient in an essential or important quality or ingredient: such as

of ore : containing little valuable mineral

: low in combustible component

—used especially of fuel mixtures

: characterized by economy (as of style, expression, or operation)

leanly adverb

leanness

ˈlēn-nəs

noun

lean

4 of 5

verb (2)

leaned; leaning; leans

transitive verb

: to make lean

lean

5 of 5

noun (2)

: the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; akin to Old High German hlinēn to lean, Greek klinein, Latin clinare

Adjective

Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1776, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lean 1 of 2

verb

ˈlēn

leaned; leaning

: to bend or tilt from an upright position

Lean the ladder against the wall.

I leaned forward.

: to bend and rest on

You can lean on me.

: depend sense 1 She leans on her friends for help.

: to tend or move toward in opinion, taste, or desire

She leans towards city life.

lean

2 of 2

adjective

leaner; leanest

: having too little flesh : skinny

lean cattle

: having little body fat

a lean athlete

: containing very little fat

lean meat

: not large or plentiful

a lean harvest

Choose the Right Synonym for lean

Adjective

lean, thin, skinny mean not having a great amount of flesh. lean is used of a lack of unnecessary flesh and may also be used for the tough, muscular frame of an athlete. He has the lean body of a runner. thin can describe a person having not much flesh or fat and often having an amount less than is desirable for good health. She's a thin and sickly child. skinny suggests a bony, noticeably thin appearance that may indicate poor nourishment. We found a skinny stray cat.

lean 1 of 3

verb

as in to tilt

to set or cause to be at an angle just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

tilt
slope
angle
incline
tip
cock
slant
heel
cant
pitch
bend
list
bank
deviate
veer
descend
retreat
swerve
recline
decline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straighten
level
flatten
even

as in to tend

to show a liking or proneness (for something) the family's diet leans toward greasy food

Synonyms & Similar Words

tend
run
incline
trend
gravitate
go
point
suggest
indicate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

avoid
shun
shy (from or away from)

as in to rely

to place reliance or trust you can always lean on me if you need help

Synonyms & Similar Words

rely
count
depend
stand on
trust
call upon
calculate
call on
bank on
confide
look to
reckon
figure on
entrust
commit
intrust

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

suspect
distrust
question
mistrust

lean

2 of 3

adjective

as in skinny

having a noticeably small amount of body fat all of the marathoners are extremely lean

Synonyms & Similar Words

skinny
thin
slender
bony
slim
angular
gaunt
svelte
lithe
trim
skeletal
boney
fatless
haggard
spare
wiry
scrawny
sinewy
lanky
willowy
lank
rangy
rawboned
spindly
weedy
reedy
clean-limbed
sylphlike
emaciated
scraggy
anorexic
twiggy
stringy
wizened
waspish
pinched
cadaverous
puny
slight
meager
spindling
anorectic
anoretic
wasted
meagre

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fat
plump
chubby
obese
corpulent
overweight
beefy
stocky
rotund
thick
heavy
bulky
fleshy
stout
tubby
chunky
heavyset
portly
brawny
gross
thickset
burly
pudgy
weighty
husky
squat
dumpy
stubby
soft
flabby
paunchy
potbellied
buxom
round
full
zaftig
roly-poly
hippy
zoftig

lean

3 of 3

noun

as in slope

the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it

Synonyms & Similar Words

slope
incline
inclination
climb
pitch
slant
diagonal
gradient
rake
upgrade
cant
bank
ascent
rise
grade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fall
hanging
dip
decline
descent
declivity
hang
downgrade
declension
receding
declination

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of lean are gaunt, lanky, lank, rawboned, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

The words gaunt and lean can be used in similar contexts, but gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

The words lank and lean are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

The synonyms lanky and lean are sometimes interchangeable, but lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

The meanings of rawboned and lean largely overlap; however, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

Both scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

While the synonyms spare and lean are close in meaning, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

单词	lean
释义	lean 1 of 5 verb (1) ˈlēn leaned ˈlēnd chiefly British ˈlent ; leaning ˈlē-niŋ ; leans intransitive verb 1 a : to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position He leaned back in his chair. b : to cast one's weight to one side for support Lean on me as we walk. 2 : to rely for support or inspiration … preferred not to lean on his father in building a career. Current Biography 3 : to incline in opinion, taste, or desire leaning toward a career in chemistry transitive verb : to cause to lean : incline The boy leaned his head on his mother's shoulder. see also lean in, lean on lean 2 of 5 noun (1) : the act or an instance of leaning : inclination lean 3 of 5 adjective 1 a : lacking or deficient in flesh b : containing little or no fat lean meat 2 : lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness lean profits the lean years 3 : deficient in an essential or important quality or ingredient: such as a of ore : containing little valuable mineral b : low in combustible component —used especially of fuel mixtures 4 : characterized by economy (as of style, expression, or operation) leanly adverb leanness ˈlēn-nəs noun lean 4 of 5 verb (2) leaned; leaning; leans transitive verb : to make lean lean 5 of 5 noun (2) : the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle Synonyms Verb (1) angle cant cock heel incline list pitch slant slope tilt tip Noun (1) cant diagonal grade gradient inclination incline pitch rake slant slope upgrade Adjective bony boney fatless lithe skinny slender slim spare svelte thin See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective She has a lean, athletic body. all of the marathoners are extremely lean Word History Etymology Verb (1) and Noun (1) Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; akin to Old High German hlinēn to lean, Greek klinein, Latin clinare Adjective Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne First Known Use Verb (1) before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a Noun (1) 1776, in the meaning defined above Adjective before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb (2) before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above Noun (2) 15th century, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing lean lean and mean lean-to lean on lean over backward lean in lean and mean lean-to lean on lean over backward lean in Kids Definition lean 1 of 2 verb ˈlēn leaned; leaning 1 : to bend or tilt from an upright position Lean the ladder against the wall. I leaned forward. 2 : to bend and rest on You can lean on me. 3 : depend sense 1 She leans on her friends for help. 4 : to tend or move toward in opinion, taste, or desire She leans towards city life. lean 2 of 2 adjective leaner; leanest 1 : having too little flesh : skinny lean cattle 2 : having little body fat a lean athlete 3 : containing very little fat lean meat 4 : not large or plentiful a lean harvest Choose the Right Synonym for lean Adjective lean, thin, skinny mean not having a great amount of flesh. lean is used of a lack of unnecessary flesh and may also be used for the tough, muscular frame of an athlete. He has the lean body of a runner. thin can describe a person having not much flesh or fat and often having an amount less than is desirable for good health. She's a thin and sickly child. skinny suggests a bony, noticeably thin appearance that may indicate poor nourishment. We found a skinny stray cat. Biographical Definition Lean biographical name ˈlēn Sir David 1908–1991 British film director lean 1 of 3 verb 1 as in to tilt to set or cause to be at an angle just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance tilt slope angle incline tip cock slant heel cant pitch bend list bank deviate veer descend retreat swerve recline decline Antonyms & Near Antonyms straighten level flatten even 2 as in to tend to show a liking or proneness (for something) the family's diet leans toward greasy food Synonyms & Similar Words tend run incline trend gravitate go point suggest indicate Antonyms & Near Antonyms avoid shun shy (from or away from) 3 as in to rely to place reliance or trust you can always lean on me if you need help Synonyms & Similar Words rely count depend stand on trust call upon calculate call on bank on confide look to reckon figure on entrust commit intrust Antonyms & Near Antonyms suspect distrust question mistrust lean 2 of 3 adjective as in skinny having a noticeably small amount of body fat all of the marathoners are extremely lean Synonyms & Similar Words skinny thin slender bony slim angular gaunt svelte lithe trim skeletal boney fatless haggard spare wiry scrawny sinewy lanky willowy lank rangy rawboned spindly weedy reedy clean-limbed sylphlike emaciated scraggy anorexic twiggy stringy wizened waspish pinched cadaverous puny slight meager spindling anorectic anoretic wasted meagre Antonyms & Near Antonyms fat plump chubby obese corpulent overweight beefy stocky rotund thick heavy bulky fleshy stout tubby chunky heavyset portly brawny gross thickset burly pudgy weighty husky squat dumpy stubby soft flabby paunchy potbellied buxom round full zaftig roly-poly hippy zoftig See More lean 3 of 3 noun as in slope the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it Synonyms & Similar Words slope incline inclination climb pitch slant diagonal gradient rake upgrade cant bank ascent rise grade Antonyms & Near Antonyms fall hanging dip decline descent declivity hang downgrade declension receding declination See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of lean are gaunt, lanky, lank, rawboned, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours. a lean racehorse The words gaunt and lean can be used in similar contexts, but gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering. a prisoner's gaunt face The words lank and lean are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness. the lank legs of the heron The synonyms lanky and lean are sometimes interchangeable, but lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness. a lanky youth, all arms and legs The meanings of rawboned and lean largely overlap; however, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment. a rawboned farmer Both scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality. a scrawny chicken skinny street urchins While the synonyms spare and lean are close in meaning, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise. the gymnast's spare figure Phrases Containing lean lean (toward or towards) lean (toward or towards)
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lean

verb (1)

noun (1)

adjective

verb (2)

noun (2)

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing lean

Kids Definition

verb

adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for lean

Biographical Definition

biographical name

verb

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser

Phrases Containing lean