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
Current Biography3
: to incline in opinion, taste, or desire
leaning toward a career in chemistry
: to cause to lean : incline
The boy leaned his head on his mother's shoulder.
: the act or an instance of leaning : inclination
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
: the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle
Synonyms
Examples of lean in a Sentence
Adjective
She has a lean, athletic body.
all of the marathoners are extremely lean
Recent Examples on the WebDaniela Avila, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
So, lean back and read about the future of Chase Field.
—Greg Burton, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
Some 88 percent of White Evangelicals lean or identify as Republican, according to the Pew Research Center.
—Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Red, a former member of the Hit Squad collective, tends to lean more toward eccentricity, with volatile exhibitions marked by cartoonish turns.
—The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
Some of our favorite designers are leaning into the cropped moment this spring and well into next fall too.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
On the scale of regular to rock star, being stuck in traffic leans hard into the mundane.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Apr. 2024
Her shoot leans into a super-feminine aesthetic, and the reactions—especially from her new boyfriend, Barry Keoghan—are the opposite of chill.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2024
The district is still one of the more competitive in the state but leans Democratic by about two percentage points, according to Dave's Redistricting, a website that compiles voter statistics in various political subdivisions.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Lauryn Higgins, Health, 16 Apr. 2024
Rounds 4-5 BONUS: Nehemiah Pritchett (Sr., Auburn, 6-0, 190)
Pritchett is long, lean, and extremely fast.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Instant Knockout Ingredients Green Tea Extract Cayenne Pepper Seeds
Glucomannan
Caffeine Anhydrous
Vitamin B6
Instant Knockout Dosage
Four capsules spread throughout the day
Summary
Instant Knockout could be your workout companion, potentially aiding in your quest to achieve a leaner physique.
—Robert James and, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024
Most people eat lean proteins and vegetables for these meals, but choosing a healthy breakfast takes a little bit more careful planning.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
But there’s something else strategic going on, in that the contrast of flavor and texture and color, fat and lean, cold and hot, happens not all on the plate, but between multiple dishes.
—Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2024
On Sunday, the actress, 66, shared a rare photo on Instagram with her 17-year-old son Quinn, smiling together in a selfie as the two lean into each other.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Jim decided long ago to ditch the bone-in leg of lamb from our childhood table for the ease, time and predictability of a lean, butterflied lamb leg.
—Lucinda Scala Quinn, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
One clinical trial found that vegetarians taking creatine showed a bigger increase in creatine stores, lean tissue, and exercise performance compared to non-vegetarians who took creatine.
—Donavyn Coffey, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
According to conductor Don Purdon, everyone in the yard had noticed the tree at some point — its precarious lean, its dead bark.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2023
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
Verb
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are leaning into their festival era.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
So, lean back and read about the future of Chase Field.
—Greg Burton, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
Some 88 percent of White Evangelicals lean or identify as Republican, according to the Pew Research Center.
—Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Red, a former member of the Hit Squad collective, tends to lean more toward eccentricity, with volatile exhibitions marked by cartoonish turns.
—The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
Some of our favorite designers are leaning into the cropped moment this spring and well into next fall too.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
On the scale of regular to rock star, being stuck in traffic leans hard into the mundane.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Apr. 2024
Her shoot leans into a super-feminine aesthetic, and the reactions—especially from her new boyfriend, Barry Keoghan—are the opposite of chill.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2024
The district is still one of the more competitive in the state but leans Democratic by about two percentage points, according to Dave's Redistricting, a website that compiles voter statistics in various political subdivisions.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and non- or low-fat dairy to keep your blood sugar in check.
—Lauryn Higgins, Health, 16 Apr. 2024
Rounds 4-5 BONUS: Nehemiah Pritchett (Sr., Auburn, 6-0, 190)
Pritchett is long, lean, and extremely fast.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Instant Knockout Ingredients Green Tea Extract Cayenne Pepper Seeds
Glucomannan
Caffeine Anhydrous
Vitamin B6
Instant Knockout Dosage
Four capsules spread throughout the day
Summary
Instant Knockout could be your workout companion, potentially aiding in your quest to achieve a leaner physique.
—Robert James and, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024
Most people eat lean proteins and vegetables for these meals, but choosing a healthy breakfast takes a little bit more careful planning.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
But there’s something else strategic going on, in that the contrast of flavor and texture and color, fat and lean, cold and hot, happens not all on the plate, but between multiple dishes.
—Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2024
On Sunday, the actress, 66, shared a rare photo on Instagram with her 17-year-old son Quinn, smiling together in a selfie as the two lean into each other.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Jim decided long ago to ditch the bone-in leg of lamb from our childhood table for the ease, time and predictability of a lean, butterflied lamb leg.
—Lucinda Scala Quinn, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
One clinical trial found that vegetarians taking creatine showed a bigger increase in creatine stores, lean tissue, and exercise performance compared to non-vegetarians who took creatine.
—Donavyn Coffey, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
Beyond the topline numbers, these surveys also reveal some of the strengths that give Hogan a chance of overcoming Maryland's blue lean.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
According to conductor Don Purdon, everyone in the yard had noticed the tree at some point — its precarious lean, its dead bark.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2023
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
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.
Articles Related to lean
Dictionary Entries Near lean
Cite this Entry
“Lean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lean
1 of 4 verb1
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 adjective1
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
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
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