lean
1to incline or bend from a vertical position: She leaned out the window.
to incline, as in a particular direction; slant: The post leans to the left.The building leaned sharply before renovation.
to incline in feeling, opinion, action, etc.: to lean toward socialism.
to rest against or on something for support: to lean against a wall.
to depend or rely (usually followed by on or upon): someone he could lean on in an emergency.
to incline or bend: He leaned his head forward.
to cause to lean or rest; prop: to lean a chair against the railing.
the act or state of leaning; inclination: The tower has a pronounced lean.
lean in,
to shift one's body weight forward or toward someone or something: Because Don was whispering, I had to lean in so I could hear him.He stood near home plate and leaned in for the pitch.
to embrace risk, be assertive, etc., as to achieve the greatest level of success in the workplace: She really knows how to lean in—she'll have a corner office before long.
lean on, Informal.
to exert influence or pressure on in order to gain cooperation, maintain discipline, or the like: The state is leaning on the company to clean up its industrial wastes.
to criticize, reprimand, or punish: I would have enjoyed school more if the teachers hadn't leaned on me so much.
Idioms about lean
lean over backward(s). bend1 (def. 21).
Origin of lean
1Words Nearby lean
Other definitions for lean (2 of 3)
(of persons or animals) without much flesh or fat; not plump or fat; thin: lean cattle.
(of edible meat) containing little or no fat.
lacking in richness, fullness, quantity, etc.; poor: a lean diet; lean years.
spare; economical: a lean prose style.
Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively low ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with rich).
(of paint) having more pigment than oil.: Compare fat (def. 12).
Nautical. (of a bow) having fine lines; sharp.
Metallurgy. (of ore) having a low mineral content; low-grade.
the part of flesh that consists of muscle rather than fat.
the lean part of anything.
Typesetting. matter that is difficult to set because of complexity or intermixed fonts.: Compare fat (def. 23).
Origin of lean
2synonym study For lean
Other words for lean
Opposites for lean
Other words from lean
- leanly, adverb
- leanness, noun
Other definitions for Lean (3 of 3)
David, 1908–91, British film director.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lean in a sentence
He added that deGrom combines an ideally long, lean pitching build with exceptional mechanics.
The view that mail-in ballots are rife with voter fraud is most widely held among Republicans and GOP-leaning independents who use only Fox News Channel or talk radio as their main sources of political news.
Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine; Biden says Americans shouldn’t trust Trump | Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner | September 16, 2020 | Washington PostWe learned to lean in with our partners to help provide Honda with a credible voice.
‘A credible voice’: Why Honda is doubling down on esports | Lara O'Reilly | September 16, 2020 | DigidaySo CEO Tim Cook and his team leaned hard on the company’s smartwatch to build excitement.
Two new Apple Watches announced at Apple’s ‘Time Flies’ event | Aaron Pressman | September 15, 2020 | FortuneFor almost two months, from a few weeks before the team dealt Capela to a few weeks after it had fully leaned into that short-ball style, Westbrook was fantastic.
Everything Should Be On The Table For The Houston Rockets. Even James Harden’s Future. | Chris Herring (chris.herring@fivethirtyeight.com) | September 14, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
In 2012, as a 10th grader, lean says he recorded his first legitimate song, “Hurt.”
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’ | Marlow Stern | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTYung lean was born Jonatan Leandoer Håstad in Belarus, before moving to Sweden at the age of 3.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’ | Marlow Stern | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe trio formed the Sad Boys collective, with Sherm and Gud on production and lean manning the mic.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’ | Marlow Stern | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“We broke off shortly after because we were more ambitious,” says lean.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’ | Marlow Stern | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTHis flesh is sagging a bit, but he is still trim and looks lean, sinewy and tough.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen she got to the cadenza, he laid down his bton, and retired to lean against the door and enjoy it.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayPast thirty all men begin to dry up or fatten, and he was certainly a lean person.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydHe was a dark impish looking fellow, as lean as Cassius and as crafty and envious as Iago.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph TatlowAnd it shall come to pass in that day, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall grow lean.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousThe tall, lean youngster wore a junior pilot's bands on the sleeves of his blue uniform.
Fee of the Frontier | Horace Brown Fyfe
British Dictionary definitions for lean (1 of 3)
/ (liːn) /
(foll by against, on, or upon) to rest or cause to rest against a support
to incline or cause to incline from a vertical position
(intr; foll by to or towards) to have or express a tendency or leaning
lean over backwards informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
the condition of inclining from a vertical position
Origin of lean
1- See also lean on
British Dictionary definitions for lean (2 of 3)
/ (liːn) /
(esp of a person or an animal) having no surplus flesh or bulk; not fat or plump
not bulky or full
(of meat) having little or no fat
not rich, abundant, or satisfying
(of a mixture of fuel and air) containing insufficient fuel and too much air: a lean mixture
(of printer's type) having a thin appearance
(of a paint) containing relatively little oil
(of an ore) not having a high mineral content
(of concrete) made with a small amount of cement
the part of meat that contains little or no fat
Origin of lean
2Derived forms of lean
- leanly, adverb
- leanness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Lean (3 of 3)
/ (liːn) /
Sir David. 1908–91, English film director. His films include In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945), Brief Encounter (1946), Great Expectations (1946), Oliver Twist (1948), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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