What does “lean” mean?
To lean, the intransitive verb, describes “a deviation from the perpendicular” (as in, not standing up straight, but resting on something for physical support). Lean accepts both leaned and leant as its past tense and past participial forms.
Besides this, lean is also understood as relying on someone or something for support, as in “he leans on his family for help and guidance.” Also, to lean can be understood as having a preference towards something: I’m leaning towards the lasagna over the salmon.
He leaned against the wall for a moment, catching his breath.
She lean on her friend during the difficult ceremony.
Verb forms of “lean”
| Tense | Present | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I lean | I leaned/leant | I will lean |
| Continuous | I am leaning | I was leaning | I will be leaning |
| Perfect | I have leaned/leant | I had leaned/leant | I will have leaned/leant |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been leaning | I had been leaning | I will have been leaning |
Is “lean” a regular or irregular verb?
What makes regular and irregular verbs is: Regular verbs end in “-ed” in their past tense and past participle forms. **Irregular verbs** end in something other than “-ed” in their past tense forms.
Lean has two accepted forms as its past tense and past participle: leant and leaned. Leant is irregular because it ends in -t, not -ed; whereas leaned clearly adheres to the regular rule of verb conjugation to the past by adding an -ed to the end.
British English or American English: leant vs leaned
Which past tense or past participle is appropriate in the particular case depends on geography. Whichever side of the pond is home is what dictates the correct spelling and orthographic conventions to adopt.
Which past tense form of learn to use depends on where you live. American English, thanks to Noah Webster (of Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary), popularized leaned as the standard past tense. UK English, which is the original form, prefers leant. The same is true for other verbs that share the same pattern (i.e., spell, leap, lean, smell, dream and so on).
Leaned/leant in sentence examples
| Past Tense | Examples |
|---|---|
| leaned |
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her. Jackie leaned on her parents to buy her a new car for her birthday. |
| leant |
He leant his face against his hand. Terry leant toward the arts rather than the sciences. He leant forward and dropped his voice. |
Similar verbs (as lean)
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| dream | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt |
| burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
“lean” past tense, visualize someone leaning against a wall—using “leaned” for the action, “leant” for the passive past participle.
Phrases with the word lean
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lean on (someone) | to depend on someone for support, help, or comfort. |
| lean into (something) | to engage with something difficult or uncomfortable directly and with determination. |
| lean and mean | operating very efficiently and without any unnecessary resources. |
| lean years | a period of little prosperity or production. |
| lean towards (something) | to show a preference for something. |
Origin of the word lean
c. 1200, from Old English hlinian “to recline, lie down, rest; bend or incline” (Mercian hleonian, Northumbrian hlionian), from Proto-Germanic *hlinen..
Practice: Leaned or leant
Please don’t ___ out of the window.
He ___ against the wall while waiting for the bus.
She ___ closer to hear what they were saying.
If you ___ too far, you might fall.
They ___ their bikes against the fence before going inside.
FAQs
What are the past tenses of lean?
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Are both leaned and leant correct?
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Is lean a regular or irregular verb?
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Give examples of leaned or leant.
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Why should I be consistent in using lean?
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Sources
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“Lean, V. (1).” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/8172133593.
Yash, D. "How to Use Leaned or Leant (Verb Conjugations)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/leaned-or-leant/.
