Advertisement

View synonyms for

mend

[ mend ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to make (something broken, worn, torn, or otherwise damaged) whole, sound, or usable by repairing:

    to mend old clothes; to mend a broken toy.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms: ,

  2. to remove or correct defects or errors in.

    Synonyms: , ,

  3. to set right; make better; improve:

    to mend matters.

    Synonyms:



verb (used without object)

  1. to progress toward recovery, as a sick person.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms: ,

  2. (of broken bones) to grow back together; knit.
  3. to improve, as conditions or affairs.

noun

  1. the act of mending; repair or improvement.
  2. a mended place.

mend

/ ɛԻ /

verb

  1. tr to repair (something broken or unserviceable)
  2. to improve or undergo improvement; reform (often in the phrase mend one's ways )
  3. intr to heal or recover
  4. intr (of conditions) to improve; become better
  5. tr to feed or stir (a fire)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of repairing
  2. a mended area, esp on a garment
  3. on the mend
    becoming better, esp in health
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈԻ岹, adjective
  • ˈԻ, noun
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • Իa· adjective
  • ·Ի verb
  • un·Իa· adjective
  • ܲ·ԻĻ adjective
  • ɱ-ԻĻ adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of mend1

1150–1200; Middle English menden, aphetic variant of amend none
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of mend1

C12: shortened from amend
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. mend sail, Nautical. to refurl sails that have been badly furled. Also mend the furl.
  2. on the mend,
    1. recovering from an illness.
    2. improving in general, as a state of affairs:

      The breach between father and son is on the mend.

More idioms and phrases containing mend

  • on the mend
Discover More

Synonym Study

Mend, darn, patch mean to repair something and thus renew its usefulness. Mend is a general expression that emphasizes the idea of making whole something damaged: to mend a broken dish, a tear in an apron. Darn and patch are more specific, referring particularly to repairing holes or tears. To darn is to repair by means of stitches interwoven with one another: to darn stockings. To patch is to cover a hole or tear, usually with a piece or pieces of similar material and to secure the edges of these; it implies a more temporary or makeshift repair than the others: to patch the knees of trousers, a rubber tire.
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I found a local tailor who mends with precision and fell in love with pieces that I forgot I even had.

From

Vrionis in his statement said Santana was on the mend, looks forward to returning to San Antonio and intends to carry on with his tour.

From

A motorcycle speedway world champion who was involved in a serious crash in Poland last month has said he is "on the mend".

From

Mnangagwa has previously said land reform cannot be reversed, but committed to paying compensation as a key way of mending ties with the West.

From

In the comments, John echoed Madonna’s enthusiasm for mending their relationship and thanked his fellow Grammy winner for paying him a visit and for “forgiving me and my big mouth.”

From

Advertisement

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Mencken, H. L.mendacious