lean

1 of 5

verb (1)

leaned ˈlēnd How to pronounce lean (audio)
 chiefly British  ˈlent
; leaning ˈlē-niŋ How to pronounce lean (audio) ; 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 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
Choose the Right Synonym for lean

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

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

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

Examples of lean in a Sentence

Adjective She has a lean, athletic body. all of the marathoners are extremely lean
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Given the directing reins, Kenan leans into chilling visuals, creepy stakes and a palpable yet still kid-friendly sense of dread. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Monica leans back slightly and runs her palm along the armrest of her chair. Sierra Greer, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024 The Noblesville taproom serves Bier's expansive blend of award-winning beers, which lean heavily on German and Belgian brewing traditions, plus wine, spirits, pizza, chicken wings and other food. The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024 With shaky demand at home, China’s bid to hit a GDP growth target of 5% this year will likely mean leaning heavily on its export machine. Mary Hui, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 Fuller suggests that people leave for their daily commute five to 10 minutes earlier, leaning toward 10 minutes just to be safe. The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Sometimes these books lean more toward the fantasy side of things; sometimes romance is the primary focus. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Loving Music Takes Action Since 2017, on each anniversary of her birth, Liu Lian has unveiled a solitary opus that leans more toward personal introspection. Billboard China, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 And the new legislative maps do make significant changes — such as creating a district in the Fox Valley that leans Democratic. Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
Adjective
An unprocessed foods diet that includes fish, fruits, lean protein, low-fat or nonfat milk, whole grains, and vegetables helps lower your calorie intake. Jenna Birch, Health, 22 Mar. 2024 Conversely, diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help reduce the risk. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 22 Mar. 2024 And from Maryland comes a lean, focused chardonnay in a strikingly different style. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Harness the wonders of beans, fresh fruit, and vegetables, lean protein and fish, whole grains (such as quinoa, brown rice, and buckwheat), and any other foods that come from the ground. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 All told, these numbers point to the likelihood that most Haley primary voters (or Haley supporters in polls) who identify as or lean Republican will go to Trump in November. Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2024 There are rounded backs and deep pliés, the kind that help a surfer get up on a board, as well as punchy unison moments that involve, repeatedly, pulled up knees with a backward lean and a hulking step forward. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 And fattier nuts, like macadamia or Brazil nuts, will oxidize quicker than leaner almonds. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 12 Mar. 2024 The race is rated lean Democrat by both the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Another is that litigants can still try to game the system by filing their lawsuits in states from which appeals are heard by circuit courts known to have a particular partisan lean. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Under that plan, 12 of the 16 Senate seats on the 2024 ballot would have a Democratic lean (instead of 10 under the Evers map). Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 The blend of brunette and bronze felt like a culmination of moments, an encapsulation of a larger lean toward warmer hair colors and an evolving spectrum of redhead hues. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2023 The living room is devoted to The Avengers, with a heavy lean toward Captain America. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 There are no restrictions on purchases like some streamers have, and there’s no proprietary lean toward one service or another. Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Like every bonafide sailing yacht, Sea Cloud Spirit heels (leans) when the sails are up. Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023 No proprietary lean: Some devices are from companies that also have their own streaming platforms, including Amazon and Apple. Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Levesque’s approach to office wear leans towards comfortable classics, subtly infused with a hint of fun. Maia Torres, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lean was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lean

Cite this Entry

“Lean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lean

1 of 4 verb
leaned ˈlēnd How to pronounce lean (audio)
 chiefly British  ˈlent
; leaning ˈlē-niŋ How to pronounce lean (audio)
1
a
: to slant or cause to slant or bend from an upright position
the tree leans to one side
lean a ladder against a wall
b
: to cast one's weight to one side for support
lean on me
2
: to depend for support
lean on one's family in a crisis
3
: to tend in opinion, taste, or desire
lean toward simplicity

lean

2 of 4 noun
: the act or an instance of leaning

lean

3 of 4 adjective
1
a
: having little body fat
lean cattle
b
: containing little or no fat
lean meat
2
: lacking richness or fullness
a lean fuel-air mixture
leanness noun

lean

4 of 4 noun
: the part of meat that consists mainly of fat-free muscle
Etymology

Verb

Old English hleonian "to slant to one side"

Adjective

Old English hlǣne "having very little body flesh"

Biographical Definition

Lean

biographical name

Sir David 1908–1991 British film director

More from Merriam-Webster on lean

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!