tendency

noun

ten·den·cy ˈten-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce tendency (audio)

plural tendencies

: a proneness to a particular kind of thought or action

: direction or approach toward a place, object, effect, or limit

: the purposeful trend of something written or said : aim

: deliberate but indirect advocacy

Example Sentences

The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation. a tendency to drop things

Recent Examples on the Web There is a tendency toward hypersensitivity with this placement, turning them into victims of their own emotions.

Meghan Rose, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2022 What rubs up against this oddly is a tendency to treat the 1940s as effectively the 2020s in many particulars.

Daniel D'addario, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 In conventional literary travelogues of Westerners moving Eastward — to India, China or Arabia, as examples — there is a tendency toward an earnest elevation, redemption and deepening of the expat’s soul through travel.

Bilal Qureshi, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 Many insurtechs also have the tendency to focus only on D2C insurance.

Dave Brune, Forbes, 8 June 2022 This speaks to the American tendency to focus deeply on the child, and less so on the postpartum birther post-conception.

Emily Barasch, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2022 Regencycore is a tendency decorate homes and/or dress in the style of early 1800s-era England.

Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 24 Mar. 2022 Harvard researchers noted that people have a tendency to focus on completing smaller, more mundane tasks rather than larger ones.

Adrienne So, Wired, 6 Dec. 2021 This tendency is a real thing that advertising researchers know.

Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Aug. 2022 See More

tendency

noun

as in proneness

an established pattern of behavior a tendency to drop things a tendency to make snap judgments

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

proneness
way
propensity
proclivity
inclination
predilection
predisposition
aptness
penchant
turn
habit
affinity
leaning
practice
disposition
bent
aptitude
partiality
pattern
wont
idiosyncrasy
routine
peculiarity
quirk
mind-set
eccentricity
custom
singularity
practise
trick
oddity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dislike
disinclination
indisposition
averseness

as in trend

a prevailing or general movement or inclination we'll be seeing a tendency for skirt lengths to get shorter this coming season

Synonyms & Similar Words

trend
tide
direction
shift
drift
wind
leaning
current
run
turn
propensity
curve
habit
tenor
downside
swing
upside
way
custom
countertrend
turnabout
countercurrent
undercurrent
undertow

as in inclination

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing a youth with a natural tendency toward arts and crafts instead of sports

Synonyms & Similar Words

inclination
aptitude
devices
affinity
proclivity
propensity
predilection
predisposition
impulse
affection
penchant
knack
leaning
disposition
bias
bent
preference
partiality
turn
addiction
talent
appetite
habitude
bone
genius
like
prejudice
gift
flair
habit
liking
taste
fondness
favor
partisanship
one-sidedness
endowment
faculty
practice
pattern
idiosyncrasy
wont
speciality
forte
peculiarity
quirk
eccentricity
specialty
way
fancy
routine
convention
singularity
custom
trick
kink
practise
oddity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dislike
aversion
disinclination
distaste
allergy
objectivity
detachment
neutrality
disfavor
indifference
averseness
disliking
impartiality
apathy
disrelish
nonchalance
unconcern
disinterestedness
insouciance

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of tendency are current, drift, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

Although the words current and tendency have much in common, current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

In some situations, the words drift and tendency are roughly equivalent. However, drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities

got the drift of her argument

The synonyms tenor and tendency are sometimes interchangeable, but tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

The words trend and tendency can be used in similar contexts, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

单词	tendency
释义	tendency noun ten·den·cy ˈten-dən(t)-sē plural tendencies 1 a : a proneness to a particular kind of thought or action b : direction or approach toward a place, object, effect, or limit 2 a : the purposeful trend of something written or said : aim b : deliberate but indirect advocacy Synonyms aptness proneness propensity way See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The economy has shown a general tendency toward inflation. a tendency to drop things Recent Examples on the Web There is a tendency toward hypersensitivity with this placement, turning them into victims of their own emotions. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2022 What rubs up against this oddly is a tendency to treat the 1940s as effectively the 2020s in many particulars. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 In conventional literary travelogues of Westerners moving Eastward — to India, China or Arabia, as examples — there is a tendency toward an earnest elevation, redemption and deepening of the expat’s soul through travel. Bilal Qureshi, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 Many insurtechs also have the tendency to focus only on D2C insurance. Dave Brune, Forbes, 8 June 2022 This speaks to the American tendency to focus deeply on the child, and less so on the postpartum birther post-conception. Emily Barasch, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2022 Regencycore is a tendency decorate homes and/or dress in the style of early 1800s-era England. Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 24 Mar. 2022 Harvard researchers noted that people have a tendency to focus on completing smaller, more mundane tasks rather than larger ones. Adrienne So, Wired, 6 Dec. 2021 This tendency is a real thing that advertising researchers know. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from Medieval Latin tendentia, noun derivative of Latin tendent-, tendens, present participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3 First Known Use 1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1b Phrases Containing tendency central tendency counter-tendency central tendency counter-tendency Kids Definition tendency noun ten·den·cy ˈten-dən-sē plural tendencies 1 : a leaning toward a particular kind of thought or action Elizabeth had a tendency to worry about things like not having permission. Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Egypt Game 2 : a way of doing something that is becoming more common : trend tendency noun 1 as in proneness an established pattern of behavior a tendency to drop things a tendency to make snap judgments Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance proneness way propensity proclivity inclination predilection predisposition aptness penchant turn habit affinity leaning practice disposition bent aptitude partiality pattern wont idiosyncrasy routine peculiarity quirk mind-set eccentricity custom singularity practise trick oddity Antonyms & Near Antonyms dislike disinclination indisposition averseness 2 as in trend a prevailing or general movement or inclination we'll be seeing a tendency for skirt lengths to get shorter this coming season Synonyms & Similar Words trend tide direction shift drift wind leaning current run turn propensity curve habit tenor downside swing upside way custom countertrend turnabout countercurrent undercurrent undertow 3 as in inclination a habitual attraction to some activity or thing a youth with a natural tendency toward arts and crafts instead of sports Synonyms & Similar Words inclination aptitude devices affinity proclivity propensity predilection predisposition impulse affection penchant knack leaning disposition bias bent preference partiality turn addiction talent appetite habitude bone genius like prejudice gift flair habit liking taste fondness favor partisanship one-sidedness endowment faculty practice pattern idiosyncrasy wont speciality forte peculiarity quirk eccentricity specialty way fancy routine convention singularity custom trick kink practise oddity Antonyms & Near Antonyms dislike aversion disinclination distaste allergy objectivity detachment neutrality disfavor indifference averseness disliking impartiality apathy disrelish nonchalance unconcern disinterestedness insouciance See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of tendency are current, drift, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force. a general tendency toward inflation Although the words current and tendency have much in common, current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course. an encounter that changed the current of my life In some situations, the words drift and tendency are roughly equivalent. However, drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse. the drift of the population away from large cities got the drift of her argument The synonyms tenor and tendency are sometimes interchangeable, but tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course. the tenor of the times The words trend and tendency can be used in similar contexts, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course. the long-term trend of the stock market is upward
随便看	keep one's head down keep one's lip buttoned keep one's lips buttoned keep one's mind off keep one's mind on keep one's mouth shut keep one's nose clean keep one's nose out of keep one's nose to the grindstone keep one's options open keep one's pecker up keep one's powder dry keep one's promise keep one's side of the bargain keep one's silence keep one's temper keep one's trap shut keep one's voice down keep one's word keep oneself to oneself keep out keep out of keep out of someone's way keep out of the way keep out of trouble

tendency

noun

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing tendency

Kids Definition

noun

noun

Synonym Chooser