Lean — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈlēn/

Meaning & Definition of Lean

Lean (verb)

  1. to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position
  2. to cast one's weight to one side for support
  3. to rely for support or inspiration
  4. to make lean

Lean (noun)

  1. the act or an instance of leaning, inclination
  2. the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle

Lean (adjective)

  1. lacking or deficient in flesh
  2. containing little or no fat
  3. lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness

Lean (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to set or cause to be at an angle

    "just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it"

    similar: angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, list, pitch, slant, slope, tilt, tip
    related: bank, bend, deviate, swerve, veer, decline, descend, recline, retreat
    near: even, flatten, level, straighten

  2. to show a liking or proneness (for something)

    "the family's diet leans toward greasy food"

    similar: incline, run, tend, trend
    related: go, gravitate, indicate, point, suggest
    near: avoid, shun, shy (from or away from)

  3. to place reliance or trust

    "you can always lean on me if you need help"

    similar: calculate, count, depend, reckon, rely, bank on, call on, figure on, look to, stand on
    related: commit, confide, entrust, trust
    near: distrust, mistrust, question, suspect

Lean (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a noticeably small amount of body fat

    "all of the marathoners are extremely lean"

    similar: bony, fatless, lithe, skinny, slender, slim, spare, svelte, thin
    related: clean-limbed, trim, sylphlike, willowy, angular, rawboned, scraggy, scrawny, sinewy, wiry, lank, lanky, rangy, reedy, spindling, spindly, stringy, twiggy, waspish, weedy, anorectic, anorexic, cadaverous, emaciated, gaunt, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted, wizened, meager, puny, slight
    opposite: chubby, corpulent, fat, gross, obese, overweight, plump, portly, rotund, tubby
    near: beefy, bulky, chunky, fleshy, heavy, heavyset, stocky, stout, thick, thickset, weighty, brawny, burly, husky, dumpy, pudgy, roly-poly, squat, stubby, paunchy, potbellied, flabby, soft, buxom, zaftig, full, hippy, round

Lean (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon

    "the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it"

    similar: cant, diagonal, grade, gradient, inclination, incline, pitch, rake, slant, slope, upgrade
    related: ascent, bank, climb, rise
    near: declension, declination, decline, declivity, descent, dip, downgrade, fall, hang, hanging, receding

Related Entry: Lean (toward or towards) (verb)

Lean (toward or towards) is a different word from Lean. The synonyms below are for lean (toward or towards), not for lean.

  1. to show partiality toward

    "I'm leaning toward sausage on our pizza tonight—we got pepperoni the last three times"

    similar: care (for), favor, like, prefer, be partial to, go in for
    related: adore, cotton (to), delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), relish, revel (in), choose, cull, handpick, name, pick, select, single (out), take, covet, crave, desire, hanker (for or after), want, wish (for), bias, prejudice, incline (toward), tend (to), admire, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value
    near: disfavor, dislike, mislike, abhor, abominate, detest, hate, loathe, decline, refuse, reject, turn down, discard, jettison, throw away, throw out

Related Entry: Lean (on or against) (verb)

Lean (on or against) is a different word from Lean. The synonyms below are for lean (on or against), not for lean.

  1. as in force, compel

    similar: bulldoze, compel, force, muscle, ram, bear (down), compress, depress, jam, pressure, squash, squeeze, weigh (upon), impel, move, drive, propel, push, shove, thrust

Related Entry: Lean-to (noun)

Lean-to is a different word from Lean. The synonyms below are for lean-to, not for lean.

  1. as in shed

    similar: shed, cabin, camp, hooch (slang), hovel, hut, hutch, hutment, shack, shanty, cot, cottage, lodge, cabana, bungalow, chalet, hogan, wickiup, wigwam, tent

Related Entry: Lean-tos (noun)

Lean-tos is a different word from Lean. The synonyms below are for lean-tos, not for lean.

  1. as in sheds

    similar: sheds, cabins, camps, hooches (slang), hovels, hutches, hutments, huts, shacks, shanties, cots, cottages, lodges, cabanas, bungalows, chalets, hogans, wickiups, wigwams, tents

Related Entry: Backward (adverb)

Backward is a different word from Lean. The synonyms below are for backward, not for lean.

  1. toward the rear

    "looking backward, we could see the town receding in the distance"

    similar: back, rearward
    related: astern, sternforemost, anticlockwise (chiefly British), counterclockwise, left-handed, left-handedly, retrograde, reversely, widdershins
    opposite: ahead, along, forth, forward, forwards, on, onward
    near: before

  2. toward the opposite direction

    "the loud noise prompted him to glance backward to see what was happening"

    similar: about, around, back, round
    related: behind, down, downward, rearward, obversely, reversely, across, athwart, counter, counterclockwise, widdershins
    near: clockwise, deasil

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Lean

The most common words with a similar meaning to Lean:

angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, list, pitch, slant, slope, tilt, tip, run, tend, trend, calculate, count, depend, reckon, rely, bank on, call on, figure on, look to, stand on, bony, fatless, lithe, skinny, slender, slim, spare, svelte, thin, diagonal, grade, gradient, inclination, rake, upgrade

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Lean

Words with the opposite meaning of Lean:

chubby, corpulent, fat, gross, obese, overweight, plump, portly, rotund, tubby

Related Words for Lean

bank, bend, deviate, swerve, veer, decline, descend, recline, retreat, go, gravitate, indicate, point, suggest, commit, confide, entrust, trust, clean-limbed, trim, sylphlike, willowy, angular, rawboned, scraggy, scrawny, sinewy, wiry, lank, lanky

Near Antonyms of Lean

even, flatten, level, straighten, avoid, shun, shy (from or away from), distrust, mistrust, question, suspect, beefy, bulky, chunky, fleshy, heavy, heavyset, stocky, stout, thick, thickset, weighty, brawny, burly, husky, dumpy, pudgy, roly-poly, squat, stubby

Word Forms of Lean

Inflections: leaned, leaning, leans

Derived words: leanly (adverb), leanness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Lean

Middle English lenen, from Old English hleonian; akin to Old High German hlinēn to lean, Greek klinein, Latin clinare

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Lean

Words & Phrases Containing Lean

leant, lean in, lean on, lean-to

Frequently Asked Questions about Lean

What does "Lean" mean?

"Lean" means to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Lean"?

Other words for "Lean" include angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, list, pitch and slant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Lean" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Lean"?

There are 93 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Lean". Common alternatives include angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, list, pitch, slant, slope and tilt.

What is the opposite of "Lean"?

Antonyms of "Lean" include chubby, corpulent, fat, gross, obese, overweight, plump and portly. Near antonyms include even, flatten, level and straighten.

How do you use "Lean" in a sentence?

Examples of "Lean" in a sentence: "just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it"; "the family's diet leans toward greasy food"; "you can always lean on me if you need help".

Is "Lean" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Lean" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Lean" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Lean" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Lean"?

"Lean" is pronounced /ˈlēn/.