rent 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rentnext
1
as in tear
a long deep cut getting her skirt caught on a nail resulted in a four-inch rent that she couldn't possibly repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge) peered through the rent in the old garden wall for a glimpse of her mysterious new neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

rent

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lease
to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment we rented the apartment to a college student for $500 a month

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum will need to rent a car while we're in Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rent different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rent are charter, hire, lease, and let. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

Where would charter be a reasonable alternative to rent?

The words charter and rent can be used in similar contexts, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of rent?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

When would lease be a good substitute for rent?

The meanings of lease and rent largely overlap; however, lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rent
Noun
In 2016, the city awarded a 28-year lease to Surf Sports, collecting annual rent in addition to a 10% assessment on events. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2025 In addition to paying rent to Miami-Dade for exclusive use of some Tropical Park facilities, the Miami-Dade contract requires Loud and Live to pay $250,000 annually to the A3 Foundation. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 19 July 2025
Verb
Demand to rent apartments could be on the rise in the South Bay, according to a second-quarter apartment market report produced by Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate firm. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 29 July 2025 Someone had heard of a family who moved into their garage and rented out their house. —Anna Russell, New Yorker, 26 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for rent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rent
  1. tear
  2. gap
  3. lease
  4. hire
  5. slit
  6. hole
  7. slash
  8. opening
Noun
  • Haaland went on an absolute tear, scoring 11 goals in seven games—including a pair of hat tricks—before making his Champions League debut in September 2019 against Genk, the Belgian side.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 31 July 2025
  • Gwen Duggins, whose daughter Kiah Duggins was on the American Airlines plane, was one of many seen wiping tears from their eyes while listening to the audio of the flight radio transmissions.
    — Abigail Adams, People.com, 31 July 2025
Definition of tear
Noun
  • The gap between Mercedes and the leading team, McLaren, stands at 296 points.
    — Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
  • CyberArk's addition to the platform fills the last significant capability gap in Palo Alto's portfolio.
    — Steve McDowell, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Definition of gap
Verb
  • The Enquirer excluded 11 people who wrote in but live outside Hamilton County and five comments that were neutral or not directly related to lease terms.
    — Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 25 July 2025
  • Rather than selling robots as capital equipment, specialized financing companies purchase robots directly from manufacturers using low-cost debt, then lease them to end customers on subscription terms.
    — Aditya Ranjan, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Definition of lease
Verb
  • Venables hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to keep the connection with Mateer intact.
    — Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2025
  • The organization’s board of directors voted to hire Bryan Griffin with an annual salary not to exceed $215,000.
    — Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
Definition of hire
Noun
  • Made with a blend of linen and rayon, these comfy pants are the perfect amount of baggy, with two convenient side pockets and side slits that add even more breathability.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2025
  • Vonn also had an unfortunate mishap while walking the red carpet in a strapless dress with a daring slit that went all the way up to her hip bone, showing off her muscular leg and giving a glimpse of her underwear.
    — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2025
Definition of slit
Noun
  • Secure burn barrels: If burning is permitted in your area, ensure that all burn barrels have a weighted metal cover, complete with holes no larger than 3/4 of an inch.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2025
  • And the man with a gruesome hole in his body as a result of necrosis.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Definition of hole
Noun
  • Given the slashes to social safety-net programs, some experts have argued any modest savings from no tax on tips and overtime would be offset by the potential loss of health insurance or food assistance for low-earning workers.
    — Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025
  • Topline Congress appears to have backed off of deeper slashes to next year’s National Park Service budget, as advocacy groups mobilize public support through grassroots campaigns.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of slash
Noun
  • As noted above, the Latin America bows were all No. 1s while the regional debut saw the 3rd highest opening day of the year.
    — Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 26 July 2025
  • No specific opening date has been announced for the new Louisville location.
    — Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 26 July 2025
Definition of opening

Browse Nearby Words

renowns
rent
rentable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rent. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on rent

Nglish: Translation of rent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
iykyk if you know you know slang written in a neon
Quiz: Abbreviation Station TFW you have to figure out what 15 abbreviations ...
See All