lean – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of lean

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to lean towards doing sth
Participle: leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
Gerund: leaning towards doing sth

Cognates

See the 2 cognates of lean

Indicative

Present

Ilean towards doing sth
youlean towards doing sth
he;she;itleans towards doing sth
welean towards doing sth
youlean towards doing sth
theylean towards doing sth

Perfect

Ihave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;ithas leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
wehave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theyhave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Past

Ileant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;itleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
weleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theyleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Pluperfect

Ihad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;ithad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
wehad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theyhad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Future

Iwill lean towards doing sth
youwill lean towards doing sth
he;she;itwill lean towards doing sth
wewill lean towards doing sth
youwill lean towards doing sth
theywill lean towards doing sth

Future Perfect

Iwill have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youwill have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;itwill have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
wewill have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youwill have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theywill have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Subjunctive

Present

Ilean towards doing sth
youlean towards doing sth
he;she;itlean towards doing sth
welean towards doing sth
youlean towards doing sth
theylean towards doing sth

Perfect

Ihave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;ithave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
wehave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theyhave leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Imperfect

Ileant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;itleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
weleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theyleant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Pluperfect

Ihad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;ithad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
wehad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youhad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theyhad leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Conditional

Present

Iwould lean towards doing sth
youwould lean towards doing sth
he;she;itwould lean towards doing sth
wewould lean towards doing sth
youwould lean towards doing sth
theywould lean towards doing sth

Perfect

Iwould have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youwould have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
he;she;itwould have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
wewould have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
youwould have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth
theywould have leant towards doing sth; leaned towards doing sth

Imperative

youlean towards doing sth
weLet's lean towards doing sth
youlean towards doing sth

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam leaning towards doing sth
youare leaning towards doing sth
he;she;itis leaning towards doing sth
weare leaning towards doing sth
youare leaning towards doing sth
theyare leaning towards doing sth

Perfect

Ihave been leaning towards doing sth
youhave been leaning towards doing sth
he;she;ithas been leaning towards doing sth
wehave been leaning towards doing sth
youhave been leaning towards doing sth
theyhave been leaning towards doing sth

Past

Iwas leaning towards doing sth
youwere leaning towards doing sth
he;she;itwas leaning towards doing sth
wewere leaning towards doing sth
youwere leaning towards doing sth
theywere leaning towards doing sth

Pluperfect

Ihad been leaning towards doing sth
youhad been leaning towards doing sth
he;she;ithad been leaning towards doing sth
wehad been leaning towards doing sth
youhad been leaning towards doing sth
theyhad been leaning towards doing sth

Future

Iwill be leaning towards doing sth
youwill be leaning towards doing sth
he;she;itwill be leaning towards doing sth
wewill be leaning towards doing sth
youwill be leaning towards doing sth
theywill be leaning towards doing sth

Future Perfect

Iwill have been leaning towards doing sth
youwill have been leaning towards doing sth
he;she;itwill have been leaning towards doing sth
wewill have been leaning towards doing sth
youwill have been leaning towards doing sth
theywill have been leaning towards doing sth

Conditional

Present

Iwould be leaning towards doing sth
youwould be leaning towards doing sth
he;she;itwould be leaning towards doing sth
wewould be leaning towards doing sth
youwould be leaning towards doing sth
theywould be leaning towards doing sth

Perfect

Iwould have been leaning towards doing sth
youwould have been leaning towards doing sth
he;she;itwould have been leaning towards doing sth
wewould have been leaning towards doing sth
youwould have been leaning towards doing sth
theywould have been leaning towards doing sth

Other

Verbs similar to 'lean'

bean, clean, dean, ean, glean, hean, lead, leaf, leak, leam,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

to have something as a necessary condition
depend, hang, hinge, rely, rest, stay, turn
incline
bend, tilt, cant, slope, list
rely
depend, trust, confide, rest, repose

Additional Information

Cf. Old English weak verb hleonian, hlinian (lean).

Etymology

1. O.E. hleonian "to bend, recline, lie down, rest," from P.Gmc. *khlinen (cf. O.S. hlinon, O.Fris. lena, M.Du. lenen, Ger. lehnen "to lean"), from PIE base *kli- "to lean, to incline" (cf. Skt. cri- "to lean;" O.Pers. cay "to lean;" L. clivus "declivity," inclinare "cause to bend," declinare "bend down, turn aside;" Gk. klinein "to cause to slope, slant, incline"). Meaning "to incline the body against something for support" is c.1250. Fig. sense of "to trust for support" is from 1225. Sense of "to lean toward mentally, to favor" is from 1398. Colloquial to lean on "put pressure on" (someone) is first recorded 1960. Lean-to "a building whose rafters pitch against another building or wall" is from 1461.
2. From Middle English lenen (“to lean”), from Old English hleonian, hlinian (“to lean, recline, lie down, rest”), from Proto-West Germanic *hlinēn, from Proto-Germanic *hlināną (“to lean, incline”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-.
3. Cognate via Proto-Germanic with Middle Dutch leunen (“to lean”), German lehnen (“to lean”); via Proto-Indo-European with climate, cline. See: Old English 'hleonian', Proto-Germanic '*hlināną', German, old spelling 'lehnen'.

Verbs referencing "lean"

German, old spelling lehnen, Sanskrit श्रयति, Danish læne.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] in the circumstance of this ladies ’ cabin adjoining our state-room, and the consequently immense feasibility of sitting there at all times and seasons, and had fallen into a momentary silence, leaning our faces on our hands and looking at the fire, one of our party said, with the solemn air of a man who had made a discovery, ‘What a relish mulled claret will have down here ! ’ which appeared to [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] in a week. Clear waste, sir, of a thousand dollars, just for want of management,—there's where ’ t is. It's always best to do the humane thing, sir; that's been _my_ experience. ” And the trader leaned back in his chair, and folded his arm, with an air of virtuous decision, apparently considering himself a second Wilberforce. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • Surprised and frightened, Eliza sat down, leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, and burst into tears. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] graceful outline, and its broad open brow; her dress, arranged by herself, was a pattern of neatness and simplicity; the work she had knitted, lay beside her; her writing-book was on the desk she leaned upon.—From the mournful ruin of such bereavement, there had slowly risen up this gentle, tender, guileless, grateful-hearted being. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Leaning her head against the chimney-piece, with a great assumption of dignity and refinement of manner, sat an elderly female, in as many scraps of finery as Madge Wildfire herself. Her head in particular [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] for his text a passage from the Song of Solomon, laid upon the desk before the commencement of the service by some unknown member of the congregation: ‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the arm of her beloved ! ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘Who are these—who are they—who are these fellows ? where do they come from ? Where are they going to ? — Come from ! What 's the answer ? ’ — leaning out of the pulpit, and pointing downward with his right hand: ‘From below ! ’ — starting back again, and looking at the sailors before him: ‘From below, my brethren. From under the hatches of sin, [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] left arm: ‘What ! These fellows are coming from the wilderness, are they ? Yes. From the dreary, blighted wilderness of Iniquity, whose only crop is Death. But do they lean upon anything—do they lean upon nothing, these poor seamen ? ’ — Three raps upon the Bible: ‘Oh yes.—Yes.—They lean upon the arm of their Beloved’—three more raps: ‘upon the arm of their Beloved’—three more, and a [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] blighted wilderness of Iniquity, whose only crop is Death. But do they lean upon anything—do they lean upon nothing, these poor seamen ? ’ — Three raps upon the Bible: ‘Oh yes.—Yes.—They lean upon the arm of their Beloved’—three more raps: ‘upon the arm of their Beloved’—three more, and a walk: ‘Pilot, guiding-star, and compass, all in one, to all hands—here it is’—three more: ‘Here it [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] is. They can do their seaman 's duty manfully, and be easy in their minds in the utmost peril and danger, with this’—two more: ‘They can come, even these poor fellows can come, from the wilderness leaning on the arm of their Beloved, and go up—up—up ! ’ — raising his hand higher, and higher, at every repetition of the word, so that he stood with it at last stretched above his head, regarding them in [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)