to give something to someone for a short period of time, expecting it to be given back
The bank refuses to lend to students.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
lend
verb (lends, lending, lent /, has lent)
to give something to somebody for a short time:
I lent the book to Jo.
Rick lent me his car for an hour.
Look at the note and the picture at borrow.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
lend
lend S3 W3 /lend/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle lent /lent/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: lænan, from læn; ⇨ ↑loan1]
1.
a) [transitive] to let someone borrow money or something that belongs to you for a short time ⇨ borrow
lend something to somebody
I lent my CD player to Dave and I haven’t got it back yet.
lend somebody something
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.
lend something to somebody
A lot of banks are unwilling to lend money to new businesses.
lend somebody something
The building society agreed to lend us £60,000.
2. lend (somebody) a hand to help someone do something, especially something that needs physical effort:
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.
4. lend an ear to listen to someone, especially in a sympathetic way:
He’s always prepared to lend a sympathetic ear.
5. lend itself to something to be suitable for being used in a particular way:
None of her books really lends itself to being made into a film.
6. lend (your) support (to something) to support or help someone:
The government has now lent its support to the campaign.
7. lend weight/support to something to make an opinion or belief seem more likely to be correct:
The police have new evidence which lends weight to their theory.
8. lend your name to something 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.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ lend (also loan especially American English) to let someone borrow money or something that belongs to you for a short time: Can you lend me $20? | Did you lend that book to Mike? | The documents were loaned by the local library.
▪ let somebody use something/let somebody have something to let someone use something that belongs to you for a short time, especially a room, a house, or something big and expensive: Some friends are letting us use their house while they are on vacation. | Dad said he’d let me have his car for the weekend.
▪ be on loan if something is on loan, it has been lent to a person or organization in an official way – often used about a library book or a work of art: The museum has an exhibition of paintings on loan from the Louvre. | According to the computer, this book is still out on loan.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
lend
lend [lend lends lent lending] [lend] [lend] verb (lent, lent [lent] ; [lent] )
1. transitive to give sth to sb or allow them to use sth that belongs to you, which they have to return to you later
Syn: loan
• ~ (out) sth (to sb) I've lent the car to a friend.
• ~ sb sth Can you lend me your car this evening?
• Has he returned that book you lent him?
2. transitive, intransitive (of a bank or financial institution) to give money to sb on condition that they pay it back over a period of time and pay interest on it
Syn: loan
• ~ (sth) (to sb) The bank refused to lend the money to us.
• ~ sb sth They refused to lend us the money.
compare borrow
3. transitive (formal) to give a particular quality to a person or a situation
• ~ sth (to sb/sth) The setting sun lent an air of melancholy to the scene.
• ~ sb/sth sth Her presence lent the occasion a certain dignity.
4. transitive to give or provide help, support, etc
• ~ sth (to sb/sth) I was more than happy to lend my support to such a good cause.
• ~ sb/sth sth He came along to lend me moral support.
more at give/lend a helping hand at help v.
Idioms: lend a hand ▪ lend an ear ▪ lend colour to something ▪ lend support/weight/credence to something ▪ lend your name to something
Derived: lend itself to something
Verb forms:
Word Origin:
Old English lǣnan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lenen, also to loan. The addition of the final -d in late Middle English was due to association with verbs such as bend and send.
Thesaurus:
lend verb T, I
• The bank refused to lend us the money.
advance • |especially AmE loan •
Opp: borrow
lend/advance/loan sth to sb
lend/advance/loan money
Which Word?:
borrow / lend
These two words are often confused. You borrow something from someone else, while they lend it to you: ▪ Can I borrow your pen? ◊ ▪ Can I borrow a pen from you? ◊ ▪ Here, I’ll lend you my pen.
Example Bank:
• She very kindly lent me her bicycle.
• The bank was unwilling to lend him the money.
• Banks are less willing to lend in these uncertain times.
• I've lent the car to a friend.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
lend / lend / verb ( lent , lent ) (GIVE)
A2 [ T ] to give something to someone for a short period of time, expecting it to be given back:
She doesn't like lending her books.
[ + two objects ] If you need a coat I can lend you one/lend one to you.
B2 [ I or T ] If a bank or other organization lends money, it gives money to someone who agrees that they will pay the money back in the future, usually with extra money added to the original amount:
The bank refuses to lend to students.
[ + two objects ] The bank agreed to lend him $5,000.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
lend / lend / verb [ T ] ( lent , lent ) (ADD TO)
If something lends a particular quality to something else, it adds that quality to it:
[ + two objects ] Vases of flowers all around the room lent the place a cheerful look/lent a cheerful look to the place.
formal These events lend support to the view that the law is inadequate.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
lend / lend / verb ( lent , lent )
lend itself to sth C2 formal If something lends itself to something else, it is suitable for that thing or can be considered in that way:
The novel's complex, imaginative style does not lend itself to translation.
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
lend
[le̱nd]
♦♦♦
lends, lending, lent
1) VERB When people or organizations such as banks lend you money, they give it to you and you agree to pay it back at a future date, often with an extra amount as interest.
[V n] The bank is reassessing its criteria for lending money...
[V n n] I had to lend him ten pounds to take his children to the pictures.
...financial de-regulation that led to institutions being more willing to lend. [Also V n to n, V to n]
Derived words:
lending N-UNCOUNT usu with supp ...a financial institution that specializes in the lending of money. ...a slump in bank lending.
2) VERB If you lend something that you own, you allow someone to have it or use it for a period of time.
[V n n] Will you lend me your jacket for a little while?...
[V n to n] He had lent the bungalow to the Conrads for a couple of weeks.
3) VERB If you lend your support to someone or something, you help them with what they are doing or with a problem that they have.
[V n to n] He was approached by the organisers to lend support to a benefit concert...
[V n] Stipe attended yesterday's news conference to lend his support. [Also V n n]
Syn:
give
4) VERB If something lends itself to a particular activity or result, it is easy for it to be used for that activity or to achieve that result.
[V pron-refl to n] The room lends itself well to summer eating with its light, airy atmosphere.
5) VERB If something lends a particular quality to something else, it adds that quality to it.
[V n to n] Enthusiastic applause lent a sense of occasion to the proceedings...
[V n n] A more relaxed regime and regular work lends the inmates a dignity not seen in other prisons. [Also V n]
6) → See also lent
7) to lend an ear → see ear
to lend a hand → see hand
to lend your name to something → see name
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
lend
lend /ˈlɛnd/ verb lends; lent /ˈlɛnt/; lend·ing
1 a [+ obj] : to give (something) to (someone) to be used for a period of time and then returned
• She often lends us books. = She often lends books to us.
• Could you lend me your pen? [=could I borrow your pen?]
• I lent our ladder to the neighbors.
b : to give (money) to someone who agrees to pay it back in the future
[+ obj]
• Can you lend me 50 cents? [=can I borrow 50 cents from you?]
• The bank wouldn't lend us the money.
[no obj]
• Many banks won't lend to people with bad credit.
2 [+ obj] : to make (something) available to (someone or something)
• They offered to lend us their services. [=to provide us with their services]
• They are glad to lend their support to worthy causes.
• It's surprising that he would lend his name to such a venture. [=that he would allow his name to be associated with such a venture]
3 [+ obj]
a : to add (something that is needed or wanted) to (something)
• A bit of grated carrot lends some color to the dish. = A bit of grated carrot lends the dish some color.
• A growing amount of evidence lends weight/credence/credibility to their theory. [=makes their theory seem true or correct]
b : to provide (something that is needed or wanted)
• She's always there to lend a (helping) hand. [=she's always there to help]
lend an ear
- see 1ear
lend itself to
✦Something that lends itself to a purpose is good or suitable for that purpose.
• Her voice lends itself well to (singing) opera.
• The topics lend themselves to classroom discussion.
- lend·er noun, pl -ers [count]
• banks and other lenders
• borrowers and lenders
- see also moneylender