lean
Base form
lean
/liːn/
Past simple
leaned / leantleaned
/liːnd/ /lent//liːnd/
Past participle
leaned / leantleaned
/liːnd/ /lent//liːnd/
MeaningB2
to bend your body, or rest against something
the leaning Tower of Pisa
In use
- Negative · Form 1Please don’t lean on the glass door because it isn’t very strong.
- After a modal verb · Form 1You can lean your bike against the wall outside.
- Past simple · Form 2Yesterday Tom leant out of the train window to wave goodbye.Yesterday Tom leaned out of the train window to wave goodbye.
- Past simple · Form 2At the party last night Maria leant against the wall and fell asleep.At the party last night Maria leaned against the wall and fell asleep.
- Present perfect · Form 3Someone has leant a ladder against our garage.Someone has leaned a ladder against our garage.
- Past perfect · Form 3The old man had leant on his stick all the way up the hill.The old man had leaned on his stick all the way up the hill.
Watch out
Leaned is right everywhere; British speakers also say leant, with a short /e/ like meant. Leand and leanded are wrong.
Same pattern
A — B — BForms two and three are the same
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