See also: bend

lean

(once / 74 pages)

1v n2v3v4adj

If you lean on someone is to rely on them for support, physical or moral. Informally, it can also mean "to exert pressure," especially if you're a mobster.

If you’re tired, lean against the wall. If you’re broke, lean on your family for financial help. But something can lean all by itself, if it’s not standing straight. The famous Tower of Pisa leans at an angle of about 4 degrees. As an adjective, we use lean to describe something skimpy or lacking excess flesh. When you're experiencing financial difficulty, you could say you're going through lean (not prosperous) times.

WORD FAMILY

lean: leaned, leaner, leanest, leaning, leanly, leanness, leans, leant/leaner: leaners/leaning: leanings

USAGE EXAMPLES

He woke up with a start - and the monk leant back, claiming nothing happened.

BBC(Jul 11, 2014)

I guess I was leaning more toward that.

Los Angeles Times(Jul 10, 2014)

I had just leaned over to examine a print hung upon the wall, the figure of a woman unclothed, when I heard my name called.

Literature(Jul 10, 2014)

He leans forward, elbows on the table, chin on top of his folded hands, staring at the squiggly pattern in the blue Formica.

Literature(Jul 10, 2014)

It could build up surpluses for lean years.

Forbes(Jul 10, 2014)

vto incline or bend from a vertical position

She leaned over the banister

Synonyms:

angle, slant, tilt, tip

vcause to lean or incline

He leaned his rifle against the wall

vcause to lean to the side

Synonyms:

list

heel, list

tilt to one side

nthe property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical

Synonyms:

inclination, leaning, list, tilt

vhave a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined

Synonyms:

be given, incline, run, tend

vrely on for support

We can lean on this man

adjcontaining little excess

a lean budget

Synonyms:

skimpy

deficient, insufficient

of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement

adjlacking excess flesh

"Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look"-Shakespeare

Synonyms:

thin

of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section

wisplike, wispy

thin and weak

stringy, wiry

lean and sinewy

spindle-legged, spindle-shanked

having long slender legs

spare, trim

thin and fit

slender-waisted, slim-waisted, wasp-waisted

having a small waist

slender, slight, slim, svelte

being of delicate or slender build

shriveled, shrivelled, shrunken, withered, wizen, wizened

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

boney, scraggy, scrawny, skinny, underweight, weedy

being very thin

scarecrowish

resembling a scarecrow in being thin and ragged

twiggy, twiglike

thin as a twig

reedlike, reedy

resembling a reed in being upright and slender

rawboned

having a lean and bony physique

lank, spindly

long and lean

gangling, gangly, lanky

tall and thin

deep-eyed, hollow-eyed, sunken-eyed

characteristic of the bony face of a cadaver

bony, cadaverous, emaciated, gaunt, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted

very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold

anorectic, anorexic

suffering from anorexia nervosa; pathologically thin

ectomorphic

having a build with little fat or muscle but with long limbs

Antonyms:

fat

having an (over)abundance of flesh

show more antonyms...

adjnot profitable or prosperous

a lean year

Synonyms

unprofitable

producing little or no profit or gain

adjlacking in mineral content or combustible material

lean ore
lean fuel

Antonyms:

rich

high in mineral content; having a high proportion of fuel to air

lean

[adjective]

1 = slim, angular, bony, gaunt, rangy, skinny, slender, spare, thin, wiry

2 = unproductive, barren, meagre, poor, scanty, unfruitful

lean

[verb]

1 = rest, be supported, prop, recline, repose

2 = bend, heel, incline, slant, slope, tilt, tip

3 = tend, be disposed to, be prone to, favour, prefer

4 lean on

= depend on, count on, have faith in, rely on, trust

Lean

\\ˈlēn\\ biographical name
Sir David 1908-1991 British film director

lean

\\ˈlēn\\ verb
(leaned

\\ˈlēnd, chiefly Brit ˈlent\\ ; lean·ing

\\ˈlē-niŋ\\)

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

DATE before 12th century

intransitive verb
1.
  a. to incline, deviate, or bend from a vertical position
  b. to cast one's weight to one side for support
2. to rely for support or inspiration
3. to incline in opinion, taste, or desire
    leaning toward a career in chemistry
transitive verb
: to cause to lean : incline
• • •
- lean on

noun

DATE 1776

: the act or an instance of leaning : inclination

III

adjective

ETYMOLOGY Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne

DATE before 12th century

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: 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)
• lean·ly adverb
• lean·ness

\\ˈlēn-nəs\\ noun
Synonyms.
  lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh. lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours
      a lean racehorse
  spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise
      the gymnast's spare figure
  lank implies tallness as well as leanness
      the lank legs of the heron
  lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness
      a lanky youth, all arms and legs
  gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering
      a prisoner's gaunt face
  rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment
      a rawboned farmer
  scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality
      a scrawny chicken
      skinny street urchins

transitive verb

DATE before 12th century

: to make lean

noun

DATE 15th century

: the part of meat that consists principally of lean muscle

lean

verb

/liːn/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they lean	/liːn/ /liːn/
he / she / it leans	/liːnz/ /liːnz/
past simple leaned	/liːnd/ /liːnd/
past participle leaned	/liːnd/ /liːnd/
(British English also) past simple leant	/lent/ /lent/
(British English also) past participle leant	/lent/ /lent/
-ing form leaning	/ˈliːnɪŋ/ /ˈliːnɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

jump to other results

[intransitive] lean (+ adv./prep.) to bend or move from a straight position to a sloping position 前俯（或后仰）；倾斜
- I leaned back in my chair.我仰靠在椅背上。
- She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear.她俯身向前，在他的耳边低语。
- He leaned over and kissed her.他俯身亲吻她。
- My wife leaned in to listen.我的妻子俯身听。
- A man was leaning out of the window.一个人正探身窗外。
- The tower is leaning dangerously.那座塔倾斜了，很危险。
Extra Examples
- The youth leaned down and lifted the child onto his shoulders.年轻人俯身，将孩子抬到肩膀上。
- I leaned across the table for the cereal packet.我靠在桌子上，拿了麦片包。
- She leaned casually over the railings.她随意地俯身靠在栏杆上。
- He leaned closer, lowering his voice.他俯过身来，并压低了声音。
- He leaned into the open doorway.他把身子探进敞开的门里。
- He leaned towards her.他靠向她。
- She leaned forward eagerly to listen to him.她急切地探身向前听他说。
- She leaned precariously out of the window.她把身子探出窗外，真危险。
- She leaned to one side.她歪向一边。
- She was leaning confidentially across the table.她神神秘秘地从桌上探过身来。
- The taxi driver leaned through his window.出租车司机从车窗探出头来。
- Women and children leaned from the windows of the surrounding tenements.妇女和孩子们从周围房屋的窗口探出身来。
- Their heads were forward, their bodies leaning, tilted into the strong wind.他们的头向前，身体倾斜，向强风倾斜。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- heavily
- lightly
- slightly
- …
preposition
- across
- against
- from
- …
adverb
- heavily
See full entry
[intransitive] to rest on or against something for support倚靠；靠在；靠置
- lean against something A shovel was leaning against the wall.一把铁铲靠墙放着。
- lean on something The old man was leaning heavily on a stick.老人正吃力地拄着拐杖。
Extra Examples
- Kate leaned comfortably against the wall.凯特舒适地靠在墙上。
- She walked slowly, leaning on her son's arm.她倚靠着她儿子的手臂缓慢行走。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- heavily
- lightly
- slightly
- …
preposition
- across
- against
- from
- …
adverb
- heavily
See full entry
[transitive] to make something rest against something in a sloping position使斜靠
- lean something against something Can I lean my bike against the wall?我能把自行车靠在这墙上吗？
- She leaned her head against his shoulder.她把头靠在他的肩膀上。
- lean something on something He leaned his elbows on the table and sighed.他将手肘靠在桌子上，叹了口气。
- He sat down and leaned his chin on his right hand.他坐下，将下巴靠在右手上。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- heavily
- lightly
- slightly
- …
preposition
- across
- against
- from
- …
adverb
- heavily
See full entry

Word Originverb Old English hleonian, hlinian, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leunen and German lehnen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin inclinare and Greek klinein.

Idioms

bend/lean over backwards (to do something)

to make a great effort, especially in order to be helpful or fair尽力；竭力
- I've bent over backwards to help him.我已尽最大努力帮助他。

lean

adjective

/liːn/

(comparative leaner, superlative leanest)

jump to other results

(usually approving) (of people, especially men, or animals人，尤指男人或动物) without much fat; thin and fit肉少的；瘦且健康的
- He had a lean, muscular body.他体格精瘦结实。
- He was tall, lean and handsome.他长得瘦高而英俊。
- The Frenchman's body looked lean and hard.法国人的身体看起来很苗条又硬。
Topics Appearancec2
(of meat肉) containing little or no fat脂肪少的；无脂肪的
- a lean, tender piece of beef一块瘦而嫩的牛肉
Topics Cooking and eatingb2
[usually before noun] (of a period of time一段时间) difficult and not producing much money, food, etc.难以赚钱的；生产不出（食物等）的；贫乏的
- a lean period/spell不景气时期
- The company recovered well after going through several lean years.经历了几年的萧条后，这家公司的业务完全恢复了正常。
- This is the leanest time of the year for the tourist industry.这是旅游业一年中最难的时间。
- Many animals have a lean time of it in winter.许多动物在冬季都比较苗条。
Extra Examples
- They have a rather lean time through the winter months.在整个冬季，他们的时间都很闲。
- These were very lean years for the company.对于公司来说，这是非常艰难的一年。
(of organizations, etc.机构等) strong and efficient because they avoid waste in their processes and do not have more employees than is necessary精干的；效率高的
- The changes made the company leaner and more competitive.改革使公司更精干，更有竞争力。

Word Originadjective Old English hlǣne, of Germanic origin.

lean

noun

/liːn/

[uncountable]

jump to other results

the part of meat that has little or no fat瘦肉
Word Originnoun Old English hlǣne, of Germanic origin.

lean

verb
1 Polly leaned against the door
REST , be propped up, recline, repose, crouch, bow, hunch, be supported.

2 a line of palm trees leaning in the wind
SLANT , incline, bend, tilt, be at an angle, slope, tip, bank, list, heel, careen, cant, bias, veer, sway, angle.

3 he leans towards existentialist philosophy
TEND TOWARDS , incline towards, have a tendency towards, have a propensity for, have a proclivity for, have a preference for, have a penchant for, be partial to, be attracted to, have a liking for, gravitate towards, have an affinity with, be prone to.

4 Jack had always been there, a strong shoulder to lean on
DEPEND , be dependent, rely, count, bank, pin one's faith; have faith in, trust, have every confidence in, swear by, cling to; not manage without.

5 (informal) I got leaned on by villains many times
INTIMIDATE , coerce, domineer, browbeat, bully, tyrannize, pressurize, threaten, compel, pressure, put pressure on, force, drive, impel, constrain, subdue, cow, daunt, prevail on; informal twist someone's arm, put the frighteners on, put the screws on, strong-arm, push around, squeeze, bulldoze.

lean

adjective
1 a tall, lean, aristocratic man
SLIM , thin, slender, spare, wiry, svelte, slight; lissom, willowy, sylphlike; lank, skinny, scrawny, scraggy, lanky, bony, gaunt, emaciated, skin and bones, raw-boned, rangy, gangling, spindly, skeletal, angular, pinched.
-opposite(s): FAT.

2 lean meat
LOW-FAT , non-fat, unfatty.
-opposite(s): FATTY.

3 a lean harvest
MEAGRE , scanty, sparse, poor, scant, mean, inadequate, insufficient, paltry, limited, restricted, modest, deficient, insubstantial, slight, slender.
-opposite(s): ABUNDANT, PLENTIFUL.

4 too often in lean times the poorest are asked to make the largest sacrifices
UNPRODUCTIVE , unfruitful, arid, barren, bare, non-fertile; famine-stricken, hungry, hard.
-opposite(s): PRODUCTIVE, FERTILE.

lean
see
⇨ PUT 8
⇨ STAND 1
⇨ SUPPORT 8
⇨ THIN 3

lean verb | adjective

1
lean / lin ; li:n /verb (past tense and past participle leaned) or leant / lZnt ; lent / especially BrE
1. I always + adv / prepto move or bend your body in a particular direction屈身; 倾斜:
[+ forward / back / over etc ]

•They were leaning forward, facing each other.他们面对面身体前倾。

•Lean back and enjoy the ride.把身体往后靠，尽情享受乘车旅行的乐趣吧。

•She leant towards him and listened.她探过身子去听他说话。

2. I always + adv / prepto support yourself in a sloping position against a wall or other surface倚，靠:
[+ against / on ]

•He was leaning on the bridge, watching the boats go by.他靠在桥上，看着船来船往。

3. I,T always + adv / prepto put something in a sloping position where it is supported, or to be in that position（使斜靠）; 斜靠（在…）:
lean (sth) against / on sth

•A huge mirror was leaning against the wall.一面巨大的镜子斜靠在墙上。

•He leant his bicycle against the fence.他把自行车斜靠在篱笆上。

4. Ito slope or bend from an upright position倾斜，弯曲:

•trees leaning in the wind在风中东倒西歪的树木

PHRASAL VERBS

lean on sb
1. to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time〔尤指在困难时刻〕依靠，依赖〔某人〕:

•The couple lean on each other for support.夫妻俩互相扶持。

2. informalto try to influence someone, especially by threatening them〔对某人〕施加压力〔尤指通过恐吓〕:

•He won't pay unless you lean on him.你不吓吓他，他是不会付钱的。

lean towards sth
to tend to support, or begin to support, a particular set of opinions, beliefs etc倾向于，向…倾斜:

•Canada, the UK and Japan leant towards the US view.加拿大、英国和日本都倾向于美国的看法。

2
leanadjective
1. thin in a healthy and attractive way苗条的，健美的:

•He was lean, tall, and muscular.他身材瘦高，肌肉结实。

⇒box at THIN¹
2. lean meat does not have much fat on it〔肉〕瘦的，脂肪少的;ANTfatty
3. a lean organization, company etc uses only as much money and as many people as it needs, so that nothing is wasted〔组织、公司等〕节俭的，精简的
4. a lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc不景气的:

•His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years .在不景气的那些年里，妻子一直是他的依靠。

—leanness noun U

lean ★★★☆☆

American English uses the form leaned as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either leaned or leant. 美国英语用leaned作过去式和过去分词，英国英语则用leaned或leant。

1.VERB 动词（身体）倾斜，倾侧 When you lean in a particular direction, you bend your body in that direction.

【语法信息】：V adv/prep

Eileen leaned across and opened the passenger door...
艾琳倾身把后座门打开。
He leaned forward to give her a kiss...
他前倾吻了她一下。
They stopped to lean over a gate.
他们停下来，趴在一扇大门前。

2.VERB 动词（使）倚；（使）靠 If you lean on or against someone or something, you rest against them so that they partly support your weight. If you lean an object on or against something, you place the object so that it is partly supported by that thing.

【语法信息】：V adv

【语法信息】：V n adv/prep

She was feeling tired and was glad to lean against him...
她正感到有些疲倦，因此很高兴可以靠在他身上。
Lean the plants against a wall and cover the roots with peat...
把植物靠墙摆放，用泥煤盖住根部。
The table lurched as a young man leant his weight on it.
一个小伙子把身体往上一靠，桌子就歪了。

3.ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词（壮健而）清瘦的 If you describe someone as lean, you mean that they are thin but look strong and healthy.

【语用信息】：approval

Like most athletes, she was lean and muscular...
跟大部分运动员一样，她身形清瘦，肌肉结实。
She watched the tall, lean figure step into the car.
她看着那个瘦高个儿上了车。

4.ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词（肉）瘦的 If meat is lean, it does not have very much fat.

It is a beautiful meat, very lean and tender.
这块肉很好，又瘦又嫩。
...the leanest ground beef you can get.
买得到的最瘦的碎牛肉

5.ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词（组织）精简的，精干的 If you describe an organization as lean, you mean that it has become more efficient and less wasteful by getting rid of staff, or by dropping projects which were unprofitable.

The value of the pound will force British companies to be leaner and fitter.
英镑目前的汇率将迫使英国公司厉行精兵简政。
...cutting corporate flab and building leaner companies.
削减企业赘肉，建立瘦身型公司

6.ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词萧条的；不景气的 If you describe periods of time as lean, you mean that people have less of something such as money or are less successful than they used to be.

【搭配模式】：usu ADJ n

...the lean years of the 1930s...
萧条的20世纪30年代
With fewer tourists in town, the taxi trade is going through its leanest patch for 30 years.
随着城里游客的减少，出租车行业正遭受30年来最不景气的时期。

相关词组：: lean on lean towards

lean★★★☆☆

1[VERB 动词] 身体倾斜，倾侧；When you lean in a particular direction, you bend your body in that direction. [V adv/prep]

Eileen leaned across and opened the passenger door...
艾琳倾身把后座门打开。
He leaned forward to give her a kiss...
他前倾吻了她一下。
They stopped to lean over a gate.
他们停下来，趴在一扇大门前。

2[VERB 动词] 使倚；使靠；If you lean on or against someone or something, you rest against them so that they partly support your weight. If you lean an object on or against something, you place the object so that it is partly supported by that thing. [V adv] [V n adv/prep]

She was feeling tired and was glad to lean against him...
她正感到有些疲倦，因此很高兴可以靠在他身上。
Lean the plants against a wall and cover the roots with peat...
把植物靠墙摆放，用泥煤盖住根部。
The table lurched as a young man leant his weight on it.
一个小伙子把身体往上一靠，桌子就歪了。

3[ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词] 壮健而清瘦的；If you describe someone as lean, you mean that they are thin but look strong and healthy. [approval]

Like most athletes, she was lean and muscular...
跟大部分运动员一样，她身形清瘦，肌肉结实。
She watched the tall, lean figure step into the car.
她看着那个瘦高个儿上了车。

4[ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词] 肉瘦的；If meat is lean, it does not have very much fat.

It is a beautiful meat, very lean and tender.
这块肉很好，又瘦又嫩。
//...the leanest ground beef you can get.
买得到的最瘦的碎牛肉

5[ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词] 组织精简的，精干的；If you describe an organization as lean, you mean that it has become more efficient and less wasteful by getting rid of staff, or by dropping projects which were unprofitable.

The value of the pound will force British companies to be leaner and fitter.
英镑目前的汇率将迫使英国公司厉行精兵简政。
//...cutting corporate flab and building leaner companies.
削减企业赘肉，建立瘦身型公司

6[ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词] 萧条的；不景气的；If you describe periods of time as lean, you mean that people have less of something such as money or are less successful than they used to be. [usu ADJ n]

//...the lean years of the 1930s...
萧条的20世纪30年代
With fewer tourists in town, the taxi trade is going through its leanest patch for 30 years.
随着城里游客的减少，出租车行业正遭受30年来最不景气的时期。

相关词组：: lean on lean towards

Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of English

lean
verb

PREP. across She was leaning confidentially across the table. | against She leaned her head against his shoulder. | into He leaned into the open doorway. | on The old man was leaning heavily on a stick. | out of She leaned precariously out of the window. | over She leaned casually over the railings. | through The taxi driver leaned through his window. | towards He leaned towards her. PHRASAL VERBS lean on sb/sth

ADV. heavily Britain leans heavily on Europe for trade.

leanleanverb[搭配]ADV.heavily
严重倾斜lightly
轻微倾斜slightly
微微倾斜casually, easily, lazily, nonchalantly
随意斜靠；懒散地斜靠eagerly
热切地屈身earnestly
诚挚地屈身confidentially, confidingly, conspiratorially
神秘兮兮地斜靠weakly, wearily
无力地斜靠drunkenly
醉醺醺地斜靠precariously
摇摇晃晃地靠close, near
靠拢:He leaned closer, lowering his voice. 他压低声音，靠得更近了。across, forward, down, out, over
向对面/ 向前/ 向下/ 向外/向下方倾斜:She leant forward eagerly to listen to him. 她急切地向前弯着腰听他说。away, back, backwards
向别处倾斜；向后倾斜:He leaned back in his chair. 他向后靠在椅子上。sideways
向一边倾斜[搭配]PREP.across
向对面倾斜:She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。against
倚靠在… 上:She leaned her head against his shoulder. 她把头靠在他的肩膀上。into
探身进入:He leaned into the open doorway. 他把身子探进敞开的门里。on
靠着:The old man was leaning heavily on a stick. 老人正吃力地拄着拐杖。out of
探出:She leaned precariously out of the window. 她把身子探出窗外，真危险。over
俯身靠着:She leaned casually over the railings. 她随意地俯身靠在栏杆上。through
从中探出:The taxi driver leaned through his window. 出租车司机从车窗探出头来。towards
向…倾斜:He leaned towards her. 他靠向她。PHRASAL VERBlean on sb/sth[搭配]ADV.heavily
严重依赖…:Britain leans heavily on Europe for trade. 在贸易上英国严重依赖欧洲。

倾斜

从以下词典查找：

历史：

lean

lean

lean