tended; tending; tends
2
: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction
cannot tell where society is tending
tended; tending; tends
1
: to pay attention : apply oneself
tend to your own affairs
tend to our correspondence
2
: to act as an attendant : serve
tended to his wife
3
archaic
: listen
4
obsolete
: await
1
2
: to stand by (something, such as a rope) in readiness to prevent mischance (such as fouling)
3
archaic
: to attend as a servant
Examples of tend in a Sentence
Verb (1)
her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics
Verb (2)
tend the store while I run an errand
lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden
plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens
the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
While very rare, even visual-range dogfights tend to occur over a few miles.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Ice tends to be weak when things are sticking out of it.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Those early experiences tend to show up in adulthood, including how someone thinks about earning and financial stability.
—Douglas A. Boneparth, Cfp, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tend
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Verb
But his resolution — which is not binding — is fairly unusual in its call for fasting, which, more than prayer alone, tends to prompt self-reflection, said Monks, who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
While very rare, even visual-range dogfights tend to occur over a few miles.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Ice tends to be weak when things are sticking out of it.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Those early experiences tend to show up in adulthood, including how someone thinks about earning and financial stability.
—Douglas A. Boneparth, Cfp, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tend
Cite this Entry
“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tend
1 of 2 verb1
: to pay attention
tend to business
2
a
: to take care of
b
: to help the growth or development of
tend the garden
3
: to have responsibility for as caretaker
tended sheep
4
: to manage the operation of or do the necessary work connected with
tend the fire
tend
2 of 2 verb1
: to move or turn in a certain direction
the road tends to the right
2
: to be likely
a person who tends to slouch
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