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
These are going to be costs like utility bills or payments for rent, a mortgage, a car, and insurance. —Rachel Barber, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025 The agreement includes rent, setup costs, and the cost of installing ballistic glass, which will be shared by the city and property owner. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
Though there's no dedicated dive shop on Anegada, many hotels rent gear to guests and can recommend charter captains who know all the best spots. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2025 For two months, Lee rented a room in West Harlem, about a 40-minute subway ride from the studio. —Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 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
  • The Eagles hold confidence in Sydney Brown, a 2023 third-round pick who suffered a late ACL tear as a rookie.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Winston posted 90 tackles and one interception over his three seasons with the Nittany Lions but was derailed by a partial ACL tear as a junior.
    — Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of tear
Noun
  • Assuming that the two indices continued to diverge by the current rate, the gap would only grow.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Next-Gen Anti-Ransomware Protection—Preemptive And Resilient Security Despite AV and EDR advancements, modern ransomware tactics—including encryption bypass and stealthy execution—continue to exploit gaps in endpoint defenses.
    — Bob Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of gap
Verb
  • The state will lease Laurel Park racetrack for three years at a cost of one dollar per year.
    — Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Enfield Council owns the land the tree was located on, and it is leased to Toby Carvery.
    — Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of lease
Verb
  • Since hiring French manager Wilfried Nancy in 2023, the Crew have been consistently pleasing to the eye.
    — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The news also comes after Prince William made a questionable decision to hire his mother, Princess Diana’s divorce lawyers.
    — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of hire
Noun
  • Not content just to confirm its arrival, Veach deftly sliced a slit in the plastic to minimize any potential forensic trail, removed the new game and swapped in the old version before carefully rewrapping it.
    — Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Reviewers did debate if the slit was too high or not, but that can vary from person to person depending on your own height and modesty preferences.
    — Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of slit
Noun
  • One obstacle the Bengals face in their quest for postseason play, however, is the outbreak of injuries that started in spring training and have created a significant hole in their offense.
    — Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Apr. 2025
  • One interesting depiction of the Last Supper was found above a German coat of arms, which depicted a goblet, a platter, and a round piece of bread with a hole in it, similar to a Jerusalem bagel.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of hole
Noun
  • Officers found four young girls, aged 16, 13, 11 and 8, who were all inside the apartment at the time of the attack, all with serious slash and stab wounds, Tisch said.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Police found the 11-year-old 911 caller and three other girls, ages 8, 13 and 16, all with serious slash and stab wounds, Tisch said.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of slash
Noun
  • Its website already lists job openings at its Leavenworth facility.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025
  • In the early days of Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, Trump seemed to relish picking a fight with Francis—who was on his way to visit the United States with Biden as his de facto chaperone—suggesting the pontiff was weak and was offering an opening for ISIS to take over the Vatican.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Apr. 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 2 May. 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

Words You Always Have to Look Up

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

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

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

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

Words You Always Have to Look Up

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
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 Word Game 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
chain-with-string
Fastest Quiz Ever: Missing Link Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All