What does lend mean?
To lend is to give someone money, property, or some other resource temporarily, usually expecting it back. The word also has a broader figurative use: to lend support, lend assistance, or lend credibility means to provide help, usefulness, or authority. For example, a person might lend a bicycle to a neighbor, while an expert witness may lend support to a theory or lend credibility to an account. The related noun loan commonly names the money or property that has been given temporarily or the act of borrowing it. Although “lend” and “borrow” may occur in the same sentence, they describe opposite sides of the transaction: one person lends, while the other borrows. The word is especially useful when describing both practical exchanges of resources and the metaphorical contribution of assistance, attention, trust, or authority.
To give someone money, property, or another resource temporarily, usually intending to receive it back.
"The library lends books to registered members."
The giver is described as lending; the recipient is described as borrowing.
To provide or make available help, support, attention, credibility, or another beneficial quality.
"The coach lent her experience to the struggling team."
This figurative use is common in professional, formal, and idiomatic expressions.
To lend is to give something with the expectation that it will return, but phrases such as “lend a hand” and “lend an ear” show that the word can also mean to offer help, attention, or support.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lend come from?
The verb comes from Old English lændan, meaning to give or grant, and is cognate with the Old Norse word lena and related forms in other Germanic languages. Its modern sense of giving something temporarily developed from the older general meaning of providing or granting. The noun loan comes through Middle English from Old English lān, a cognate formation sharing the same Germanic origin.
Related word forms
How lend is actually used
In its basic sense, lend describes the person giving something temporarily, while borrow describes the person receiving it. The verb is common in formal, professional, and everyday contexts. Expressions such as “lend a hand” and “lend an ear” are idiomatic rather than literal.
Easily confused with lend
Lending means giving something to someone temporarily, whereas borrowing means receiving something for temporary use.
Lend is normally a verb meaning to give something temporarily; loan is commonly a noun referring to the borrowed item or the act of borrowing, though it can also be used as a verb.