; lending
Loan vs. Lend: Usage Guide
When English speakers first settled in North America, they brought with them loan as both a verb and a noun: one could get a loan, and one could loan a book to a friend. (The verb lend was also available, making it possible to lend a book to a friend as well.) The verb use of loan died out in Britain, but continued to be used in American English, thereby attracting some negative attention as a dialect term. Warnings against loan as a verb followed and can still be heard, but the use is perfectly standard. The verb loan is only encountered literally; one only lends a hand, never loans it.
Examples of lend in a Sentence
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Mike Judge Creator Mike Judge took the mic to voice Hank Hill, also lending his vocals to Boomhauer and Stuart Dooley, among other characters.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
In this viral Chicken Soup Salad, the nutritional yeast lends subtle cheesy quality, and the aromatic veggie blend and herbs help this creamy chicken salad taste surprisingly similar to the comfort food soup that inspired it.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
Mushrooms lend earthiness and veal stock adds something far more unattainable, like a warm memory that's been lost in your head forever.
—Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lend
Cite this Entry
“Lend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lend. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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lend
verb
; lending
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