lean – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of lean

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to lean on sb
Participle: leant on sb; leaned on sb
Gerund: leaning on sb

Cognates

See the 2 cognates of lean

Indicative

Present

Ilean on sb
youlean on sb
he;she;itleans on sb
welean on sb
youlean on sb
theylean on sb

Perfect

Ihave leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhave leant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;ithas leant on sb; leaned on sb
wehave leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhave leant on sb; leaned on sb
theyhave leant on sb; leaned on sb

Past

Ileant on sb; leaned on sb
youleant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;itleant on sb; leaned on sb
weleant on sb; leaned on sb
youleant on sb; leaned on sb
theyleant on sb; leaned on sb

Pluperfect

Ihad leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhad leant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;ithad leant on sb; leaned on sb
wehad leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhad leant on sb; leaned on sb
theyhad leant on sb; leaned on sb

Future

Iwill lean on sb
youwill lean on sb
he;she;itwill lean on sb
wewill lean on sb
youwill lean on sb
theywill lean on sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have leant on sb; leaned on sb
youwill have leant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;itwill have leant on sb; leaned on sb
wewill have leant on sb; leaned on sb
youwill have leant on sb; leaned on sb
theywill have leant on sb; leaned on sb

Subjunctive

Present

Ilean on sb
youlean on sb
he;she;itlean on sb
welean on sb
youlean on sb
theylean on sb

Perfect

Ihave leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhave leant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;ithave leant on sb; leaned on sb
wehave leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhave leant on sb; leaned on sb
theyhave leant on sb; leaned on sb

Imperfect

Ileant on sb; leaned on sb
youleant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;itleant on sb; leaned on sb
weleant on sb; leaned on sb
youleant on sb; leaned on sb
theyleant on sb; leaned on sb

Pluperfect

Ihad leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhad leant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;ithad leant on sb; leaned on sb
wehad leant on sb; leaned on sb
youhad leant on sb; leaned on sb
theyhad leant on sb; leaned on sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould lean on sb
youwould lean on sb
he;she;itwould lean on sb
wewould lean on sb
youwould lean on sb
theywould lean on sb

Perfect

Iwould have leant on sb; leaned on sb
youwould have leant on sb; leaned on sb
he;she;itwould have leant on sb; leaned on sb
wewould have leant on sb; leaned on sb
youwould have leant on sb; leaned on sb
theywould have leant on sb; leaned on sb

Imperative

youlean on sb
weLet's lean on sb
youlean on sb

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam leaning on sb
youare leaning on sb
he;she;itis leaning on sb
weare leaning on sb
youare leaning on sb
theyare leaning on sb

Perfect

Ihave been leaning on sb
youhave been leaning on sb
he;she;ithas been leaning on sb
wehave been leaning on sb
youhave been leaning on sb
theyhave been leaning on sb

Past

Iwas leaning on sb
youwere leaning on sb
he;she;itwas leaning on sb
wewere leaning on sb
youwere leaning on sb
theywere leaning on sb

Pluperfect

Ihad been leaning on sb
youhad been leaning on sb
he;she;ithad been leaning on sb
wehad been leaning on sb
youhad been leaning on sb
theyhad been leaning on sb

Future

Iwill be leaning on sb
youwill be leaning on sb
he;she;itwill be leaning on sb
wewill be leaning on sb
youwill be leaning on sb
theywill be leaning on sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have been leaning on sb
youwill have been leaning on sb
he;she;itwill have been leaning on sb
wewill have been leaning on sb
youwill have been leaning on sb
theywill have been leaning on sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould be leaning on sb
youwould be leaning on sb
he;she;itwould be leaning on sb
wewould be leaning on sb
youwould be leaning on sb
theywould be leaning on sb

Perfect

Iwould have been leaning on sb
youwould have been leaning on sb
he;she;itwould have been leaning on sb
wewould have been leaning on sb
youwould have been leaning on sb
theywould have been leaning on sb

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)