Lean (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

verb (used without object), leaned or (especially British) leant; lean·ing.
  1. to incline or bend from a vertical position: She leaned out the window.
  2. to incline, as in a particular direction; slant: The post leans to the left.The building leaned sharply before renovation.
  3. to incline in feeling, opinion, action, etc.: to lean toward socialism.
  4. to rest against or on something for support: to lean against a wall.
  5. to depend or rely (usually followed by on or upon): someone he could lean on in an emergency.
verb (used with object), leaned or (especially British) leant; lean·ing.
  1. to incline or bend: He leaned his head forward.
  2. to cause to lean or rest; prop: to lean a chair against the railing.
noun
  1. the act or state of leaning; inclination: The tower has a pronounced lean.
Verb Phrases
  1. lean in,
    • to shift one's body weight forward or toward someone or something: Because Don was whispering, I had to lean in so I could hear him.He stood near home plate and leaned in for the pitch.
    • to embrace risk, be assertive, etc., as to achieve the greatest level of success in the workplace: She really knows how to lean in—she'll have a corner office before long.
  2. lean on, Informal.
    • to exert influence or pressure on in order to gain cooperation, maintain discipline, or the like: The state is leaning on the company to clean up its industrial wastes.
    • to criticize, reprimand, or punish: I would have enjoyed school more if the teachers hadn't leaned on me so much.
Idioms
  1. bend1 (def. 21).
adjective, lean·er, lean·est.
  1. (of persons or animals) without much flesh or fat; not plump or fat; thin: lean cattle.
  2. (of edible meat) containing little or no fat.
  3. lacking in richness, fullness, quantity, etc.; poor: a lean diet; lean years.
  4. spare; economical: a lean prose style.
  5. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively low ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with rich).
  6. (of paint) having more pigment than oil.
  7. (of a bow) having fine lines; sharp.
  8. (of ore) having a low mineral content; low-grade.
noun
  1. the part of flesh that consists of muscle rather than fat.
  2. the lean part of anything.
  3. matter that is difficult to set because of complexity or intermixed fonts.
noun
  1. British film director.
verb leans, leaning, leaned or leant
  1. to rest or cause to rest against a support
  2. to incline or cause to incline from a vertical position
  3. to have or express a tendency or leaning
  4. to make a special effort, esp in order to please
noun
  1. the condition of inclining from a vertical position
adjective
  1. (esp of a person or an animal) having no surplus flesh or bulk; not fat or plump
  2. not bulky or full
  3. (of meat) having little or no fat
  4. not rich, abundant, or satisfying
  5. (of a mixture of fuel and air) containing insufficient fuel and too much air
  6. (of printer's type) having a thin appearance
  7. (of a paint) containing relatively little oil
  8. (of an ore) not having a high mineral content
  9. (of concrete) made with a small amount of cement
noun
  1. the part of meat that contains little or no fat
noun
  1. Sir David. 1908–91, English film director. His films include In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945), Brief Encounter (1946), Great Expectations (1946), Oliver Twist (1948), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)
Lean (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

More Definitions