tend

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈtend How to pronounce tend (audio)
tended; tending; tends
Synonyms of tendnext

intransitive verb

1
: to exhibit an inclination or tendency : conduce
tends to be optimistic
2
: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction
cannot tell where society is tending

tend

2 of 2

verb (2)

tended; tending; tends

intransitive verb

1
: to pay attention : apply oneself
tend to your own affairs
tend to our correspondence
2
: to act as an attendant : serve
tended to his wife
3
archaic : listen
4
obsolete : await

transitive verb

1
a
: to apply oneself to the care of : watch over
tended her sick father
b
: to have or take charge of as a caretaker or overseer
tend the sheep
c
: cultivate, foster
d
: to manage the operations of : mind
tend the store
tend the fire
2
: to stand by (something, such as a rope) in readiness to prevent mischance (such as fouling)
3
archaic : to attend as a servant

Synonyms of tend

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Verb (1)

Verb (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tend in a Sentence

Verb (1) her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics Verb (2) tend the store while I run an errand lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The firm tends to operate in the midmarket on deals sized between $30 million and $300 million. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 In heat, stomata tend to open to release water, essentially sweating. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026 Materials that are stiff and strong tend to be good at conducting heat, while materials that are soft and less durable tend to be better at blocking heat. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026 Such experiments have tended to thrive in contexts where landline-telephone use was impossible, for reasons of cost, infrastructure, or circumstance. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tend

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English tenden "to stretch, spread, direct oneself (to), incline toward," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French tendre "to stretch, hold out, offer, direct (one's course), go, aim (at)," going back to Latin tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out, direct (one's course), aim (at a purpose)" (Medieval Latin, "to lead toward, move in a particular direction") — more at tender entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English tenden, shortened from attenden "to attend" or entenden, intenden "to intend"

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tend was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing tend

Rhymes for tend

See All Rhymes for tend

Browse Nearby Words

Ten Commandments
tend
Tendai
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tend

1 of 2 verb
ˈtend How to pronounce tend (audio)
1
: to pay attention
tend to business
2
a
: to take care of
b
: to help the growth or development of
tend the garden
3
: to have responsibility for as caretaker
tended sheep
4
: to manage the operation of or do the necessary work connected with
tend the fire

tend

2 of 2 verb
1
: to move or turn in a certain direction
the road tends to the right
2
: to be likely
a person who tends to slouch
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