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| Language: | Old English |
| Origin: | lænan, from læn; LOAN1 |
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lend S3 W3
past tense and past participle lent
past tense and past participle lent
1
a) [transitive] to let someone borrow money or something that belongs to you for a short time [↪ borrow]
lend somebody something The hospital agreed to lend us a wheelchair. Can you lend me £10 until tomorrow?
The hospital agreed to lend us a wheelchair.Can you lend me £10 until tomorrow?b) [intransitive and transitive] if a bank or financial institution lends money, it lets someone have it on condition that they pay it back later, often gradually, with an additional amount as interest : The government is trying to encourage the banks to lend more.
The government is trying to encourage the banks to lend more. lend something to somebody A lot of banks are unwilling to lend money to new businesses.
A lot of banks are unwilling to lend money to new businesses. lend somebody something The building society agreed to lend us £60,000.
The building society agreed to lend us £60,000.2 to help someone do something, especially something that needs physical effort : Can you lend me a hand with this?
lend (somebody) a hand
Can you lend me a hand with this?3 [transitive] formal to give a situation, event etc a particular quality
lend something to something The presence of members of the royal family lent a certain dignity to the ceremony.
The presence of members of the royal family lent a certain dignity to the ceremony.4 to listen to someone, especially in a sympathetic way : He's always prepared to lend a sympathetic ear.
lend an ear
He's always prepared to lend a sympathetic ear.5 to be suitable for being used in a particular way : None of her books really lends itself to being made into a film.
lend itself to something
None of her books really lends itself to being made into a film.6 to support or help someone : The government has now lent its support to the campaign.
lend (your) support (to something)
The government has now lent its support to the campaign.7 to make an opinion or belief seem more likely to be correct : The police have new evidence which lends weight to their theory.
lend weight/support to something
The police have new evidence which lends weight to their theory.8 to announce publicly that you support something that someone is trying to do : The French prime minister has now lent his name to the protest.
lend your name to something
The French prime minister has now lent his name to the protest.