English dictionary



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English adjective: lean

1. lean lacking excess flesh


SamplesYou can't be too rich or too thin.
Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look.


Synonymsthin


Similaranorectic, anorexic, boney, bony, cadaverous, deep-eyed, emaciated, gangling, gangly, gaunt, haggard, hollow-eyed, lank, lanky, pinched, rawboned, reedlike, reedy, scarecrowish, scraggy, scrawny, shriveled, shrivelled, shrunken, skeletal, skinny, slender, slender-waisted, slight, slim, slim-waisted, spare, spindle-legged, spindle-shanked, spindly, stringy, sunken-eyed, svelte, trim, twiggy, twiglike, underweight, wasp-waisted, wasted, weedy, wiry, wisplike, wispy, withered, wizen, wizened


See alsoectomorphic, thin


Attributebody weight


Antonymsfat

2. lean lacking in mineral content or combustible material


SamplesLean ore.
Lean fuel.


Antonymsrich

3. lean containing little excess


SamplesA lean budget.
A skimpy allowance.


Synonymsskimpy


Similardeficient, insufficient


Antonymssufficient

4. lean not profitable or prosperous


SamplesA lean year.


Similarunprofitable


Antonymsprofitable


English noun: lean

1. lean (attribute) the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical


SamplesThe tower had a pronounced tilt.
The ship developed a list to starboard.
He walked with a heavy inclination to the right.


Synonymsinclination, leaning, list, tilt


Broader (hypernym)position, spatial relation


English verb: lean

1. lean (motion) to incline or bend from a vertical position


SamplesShe leaned over the banister.


Synonymsangle, slant, tilt, tip


Pattern of useSomething ----s.
Something is ----ing PP.
Somebody ----s PP


Broader (hypernym)bend, flex


Narrower (hyponym)heel, incline, lean back, list, pitch, recline, slope, weather

2. lean (contact) cause to lean or incline


SamplesHe leaned his rifle against the wall.


ExamplesThey lean their rifles on the cabinet


Pattern of useSomebody ----s something PP


Broader (hypernym)lay, place, pose, position, put, set

3. lean (stative) have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined


SamplesShe tends to be nervous before her lectures.
These dresses run small.
He inclined to corpulence.


Synonymsbe given, incline, run, tend


Pattern of useSomebody ----s to INFINITIVE


Broader (hypernym)be


Narrower (hyponym)gravitate, suffer, take kindly to

4. lean (cognition) rely on for support


SamplesWe can lean on this man.


Pattern of useSomebody ----s somebody.
Something ----s somebody


Broader (hypernym)bank, rely, swear, trust

5. lean (motion) cause to lean to the side


SamplesErosion listed the old tree.


Synonymslist


Pattern of useSomething ----s something


Broader (hypernym)move


Verb groupheel, list









Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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