LEAN


Meaning of LEAN in English

I. lean 1 S3 /liːn/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle leaned or leant /lent/ especially British English )

[ Language: Old English ; Origin: hleonian ]

1 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move or bend your body in a particular direction

lean forward/back/over etc

They were leaning forward, facing each other.

Lean back and enjoy the ride.

She leant towards him and listened.

2 .

[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to support yourself in a sloping position against a wall or other surface

lean against/on

He was leaning on the bridge, watching the boats go by.

3 . [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put something in a sloping position where it is supported, or to be in that position

lean (something) against/on something

A huge mirror was leaning against the wall.

He leant his bicycle against the fence.

4 . [intransitive] to slope or bend from an upright position:

trees leaning in the wind

lean on somebody phrasal verb

1 . to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time:

The couple lean on each other for support.

2 . informal to try to influence someone, especially by threatening them:

He won’t pay unless you lean on him.

lean towards something phrasal verb

to tend to support, or begin to support, a particular set of opinions, beliefs etc:

Canada, the UK and Japan leant towards the US view.

II. lean 2 BrE AmE adjective

[ Language: Old English ; Origin: hlæne ]

1 . thin in a healthy and attractive way:

He was lean, tall, and muscular.

2 . lean meat does not have much fat on it OPP fatty

3 . a lean organization, company etc uses only as much money and as many people as it needs, so that nothing is wasted

4 . a lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc:

His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years.

—leanness noun [uncountable]

• • •

THESAURUS

■ person

▪ thin having little fat on your body:

a tall, thin man

▪ slim thin in an attractive way:

her slim figure

|

a slim woman in her fifties

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Magazines are always full of advice about how to stay slim.

▪ slender written thin in an attractive and graceful way – used especially about parts of the body, and used especially about women:

her long, slender legs

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She is slender, with very fair hair.

▪ lean thin and looking healthy and fit:

his lean body

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He was lean and looked like a runner.

▪ skinny very thin in a way that is not attractive:

a skinny teenager

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Your arms are so skinny!

▪ slight written thin and delicate:

a small, slight girl with big eyes

▪ scrawny /ˈskrɔːni $ ˈskrɒː-/ very thin, small, and weak-looking:

a scrawny kid in blue jeans

▪ underweight below the usual weight for someone of your height, and therefore too thin:

He had no appetite and remained underweight.

▪ gaunt /ɡɔːnt $ ɡɒːnt/ written very thin and pale, especially because of illness or continued worry:

He looked gaunt and had not shaved for days.

▪ emaciated /ɪˈmeɪʃieɪtəd, ɪˈmeɪʃieɪtɪd, -si-/ written extremely thin and weak, because you are ill or not getting enough to eat:

The tents were filled with emaciated refugees.

▪ skeletal written used about someone who is so thin that you can see the shape of their bones:

The soldiers were shocked by the skeletal figures of the camp’s prisoners.

▪ anorexic used about someone who is extremely thin because they have a mental illness that makes them stop eating:

Her daughter is anorexic.

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anorexic teenagers

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.