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verb (used without object)
1.
to incline or bend from a vertical position: She leaned out the window.
2.
to incline, as in a particular direction; slant: The post leans to the left. The building leaned sharply before renovation.
3.
to incline in feeling, opinion, action, etc.: to lean toward socialism.
4.
to rest against or on something for support: to lean against a wall.
5.
to depend or rely (usually followed by on or upon): someone he could lean on in an emergency.
verb (used with object)
6.
to incline or bend: He leaned his head forward.
7.
to cause to lean or rest; prop: to lean a chair against the railing.
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Lean on
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
noun
Verb phrase8.
the act or state of leaning; inclination: The tower has a pronounced lean.
9.
Idiomlean on, Informal.
a.
to exert influence or pressure on in order to gain cooperation, maintain discipline, or the like: The state is leaning on the company to clean up its industrial wastes.
b.
to criticize, reprimand, or punish: I would have enjoyed school more if the teachers hadn't leaned on me so much.
10.
lean over backward(s). bend1 (def. 20).
Origin:
before 900; Middle English lenen, Old English hleonian, hlinian; cognate with G. lehnen; akin to Latin clīnāre to incline, Greek klī́nein
before 900; Middle English lenen, Old English hleonian, hlinian; cognate with G. lehnen; akin to Latin clīnāre to incline, Greek klī́nein
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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|
Link To lean on
Collins
World English Dictionary
| lean on | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | Also: lean upon to depend on for advice, support, etc |
| 2. | informal to exert pressure on (someone), as by threats or intimidation |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lean
"thin, spare, with little flesh or fat," O.E. hlæne, possibly from hlænan "cause to lean or bend," from P.Gmc. *khlainijan, which would make it related to O.E. hleonian (see lean (v.)). But perhaps rather from a PIE *qloinio- (cf. Lith. klynas "scrap, fragment," Lettish kleins "feeble").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
lean on
-
Rely on, depend on, as in He's leaning on me for help. [Mid-1400s]
-
Exert pressure on one, especially to obtain something or make one do something against his or her will. For example, The gangsters were leaning on local storekeepers to pay them protection money. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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