tended; tending; tends
2
: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction
cannot tell where society is tending
tended; tending; tends
1
: to pay attention : apply oneself
tend to your own affairs
tend to our correspondence
2
: to act as an attendant : serve
tended to his wife
3
archaic
: listen
4
obsolete
: await
1
2
: to stand by (something, such as a rope) in readiness to prevent mischance (such as fouling)
3
archaic
: to attend as a servant
Synonyms
Verb (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of tend in a Sentence
Verb (1)
her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics
Verb (2)
tend the store while I run an errand
lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden
plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens
the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Our immune systems tend to get rid of infections before symptoms appear.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Silky moms tend to favor hospital births and are more open to formula feeding and scheduled vaccinations.
—Jana Pollack, Parents, 11 Feb. 2025
In traditional dictatorships, critics are often charged with crimes such as sedition, treason, or plotting insurrection, but contemporary autocrats tend to prosecute critics for more mundane offenses, such as corruption, tax evasion, defamation, and even minor violations of arcane rules.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tend 
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Verb
Some of the live arachnids on display are reclusive and tend to burrow under plants or webs, so keen-eyed visitors might catch only a glimpse of their fuzzy legs peeking out from a cozy corner.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Our immune systems tend to get rid of infections before symptoms appear.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Silky moms tend to favor hospital births and are more open to formula feeding and scheduled vaccinations.
—Jana Pollack, Parents, 11 Feb. 2025
In traditional dictatorships, critics are often charged with crimes such as sedition, treason, or plotting insurrection, but contemporary autocrats tend to prosecute critics for more mundane offenses, such as corruption, tax evasion, defamation, and even minor violations of arcane rules.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tend
Articles Related to tend
Dictionary Entries Near tend
Cite this Entry
“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tend
1 of 2 verb1
: to pay attention
tend to business
2
a
: to take care of
b
: to help the growth or development of
tend the garden
3
: to have responsibility for as caretaker
tended sheep
4
: to manage the operation of or do the necessary work connected with
tend the fire
tend
2 of 2 verb1
: to move or turn in a certain direction
the road tends to the right
2
: to be likely
a person who tends to slouch
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