lean – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of lean

Nominal Forms

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

Cognates

See the 2 cognates of lean

Indicative

Present

Ilean
youlean
he;she;itleans
welean
youlean
theylean

Perfect

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

Past

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

Pluperfect

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

Future

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

Future Perfect

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

Subjunctive

Present

Ilean
youlean
he;she;itlean
welean
youlean
theylean

Perfect

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

Imperfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Conditional

Present

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

Perfect

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

Imperative

youlean
weLet's lean
youlean

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

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

Perfect

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

Past

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

Pluperfect

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

Future

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

Future Perfect

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

Conditional

Present

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

Perfect

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

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)