verb Uncommon

Lent

Lent (verb) means past tense and past participle of lend. Example: “He lent his neighbour a ladder last weekend.”

verb

Past tense and past participle of lend.

"He lent his neighbour a ladder last weekend."

How to use Lent

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe past-tense form of "lend" — what you did when you let someone borrow something.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with Lent, the Christian period of fasting before Easter — same spelling, capital letter, completely different word.

Word forms

Lents plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He _____ his neighbour a ladder last weekend.

Etymology

Shortened form of Lenten, from Old English lencten, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn (“spring”), as in a season into which days lengthen as it progresses. Cognate with Alemannic German langsé, Langssi (“spring”), Bavarian longas, lòngas, longast (“spring”), Cimbrian langaz, langhes, långez (“spring”), lentz (“March”), Dutch lente (“spring”), German Lenz, Lenze (“spring”), Mòcheno langes (“spring”).

Origin: Old English

Rhymes for Lent

ent bent went sent vent rent dent gent tent Kent pent spent

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Frequently asked questions

What does “Lent” mean?

The word “Lent” means past tense and past participle of lend. In plain terms, the past-tense form of "lend" — what you did when you let someone borrow something.

How do you use “Lent” in a sentence?

Here is “Lent” used in a sentence: “He lent his neighbour a ladder last weekend.”

What part of speech is “Lent”?

“Lent” is a verb.

Is “Lent” a common word?

“Lent” is an uncommon word in modern English.

Is lent the past tense of lend?

Yes, lent is the past tense and past participle of lend, used when something has already been given to someone temporarily, as in 'I lent him my book.'

What is the difference between lent and borrowed?

Lent describes the action from the giver's perspective, meaning they allowed someone else to use something temporarily, while borrowed describes the same transaction from the receiver's perspective. If you lent a book to a friend, your friend borrowed it from you.

Is it lended or lent?

Lent is the correct past tense and past participle form; lend is an irregular verb, so 'lended' is not standard English. The correct forms are lend, lent, lent.