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
Verb (1)
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
Noun (1)
the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it
Adjective
She has a lean, athletic body.
all of the marathoners are extremely lean
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
The Diplomat leans even further into its soapy inclinations with its ending.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Harris’s transition team, led by Yohannes Abraham, is low-profile and lean.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024
Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, Republicans are hoping that their four-to-one disadvantage in the money race won’t be enough to overcome the base partisan lean of these districts.
—Cooper Burton, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lean 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Their cutbacks on spending forced a reckoning among restaurants, with fast-food brands like McDonald’s leaning into value menus and full-service chains like Red Lobster embarking on ambitious makeovers.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
The Diplomat leans even further into its soapy inclinations with its ending.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Treatments for abnormal ferritin levels may include eating iron-rich foods like lean salmon, leafy green vegetables, and beans.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Harris’s transition team, led by Yohannes Abraham, is low-profile and lean.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
While the state’s largest voting bloc from more than 7.7 million registrations is nearly 38% unaffiliated, the leans are estimated to put only about 10% in true independent status.
—Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, Republicans are hoping that their four-to-one disadvantage in the money race won’t be enough to overcome the base partisan lean of these districts.
—Cooper Burton, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lean
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 22 Nov. 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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