lean
leans
leaning
leant
Lean means to incline or rest against. Regular or Irregular: lean-leaned/leant-leaned/leant.
Meanings
- To incline
- To rest against
- To tend toward
Common Collocations
lean on
lean towards
lean back
lean in
lean and mean
Tip for Learners
US: leaned. UK: often leant. Lean on = depend on OR pressure. Lean in = engage fully (also book title).
Present Simple
| I | lean |
| you | lean |
| he/she/it | leans |
| we | lean |
| they | lean |
Examples - Present Simple
- I lean toward accepting the job offer.
- You lean on your friends for emotional support.
- She leans against the wall when she's tired.
- We lean on each other during difficult times.
- They lean toward conservative investment strategies.
Present Continuous
| I | am leaning |
| you | are leaning |
| he/she/it | is leaning |
| we | are leaning |
| they | are leaning |
Examples - Present Continuous
- I am leaning toward the blue color option.
- You are leaning too heavily on past successes.
- He is leaning against the railing dangerously.
- We are leaning toward a different approach now.
- They are leaning on the government for support.
Present Perfect
| I | have leant |
| you | have leant |
| he/she/it | has leant |
| we | have leant |
| they | have leant |
Examples - Present Perfect
- I have leaned on my family throughout this crisis.
- You have leaned toward this solution all along.
- She has leaned against that tree for an hour.
- We have leaned on our experience to guide us.
- They have leaned toward accepting the proposal.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been leaning |
| you | have been leaning |
| he/she/it | has been leaning |
| we | have been leaning |
| they | have been leaning |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been leaning toward the first option lately.
- You have been leaning on others too much.
- He has been leaning against the fence all morning.
- We have been leaning toward a compromise solution.
- They have been leaning on vendors for better prices.
Past Simple
| I | leant |
| you | leant |
| he/she/it | leant |
| we | leant |
| they | leant |
Examples - Past Simple
- I leaned back in my chair and relaxed completely.
- You leaned on me when you needed help.
- She leaned forward to hear the secret.
- We leaned toward the easier option at the time.
- They leaned against the car while waiting.
Past Continuous
| I | was leaning |
| you | were leaning |
| he/she/it | was leaning |
| we | were leaning |
| they | were leaning |
Examples - Past Continuous
- I was leaning against the window when it broke.
- You were leaning on the wrong assumptions.
- He was leaning forward when the train stopped.
- We were leaning toward agreement before the change.
- They were leaning on their lawyers for advice.
Past Perfect
| I | had leant |
| you | had leant |
| he/she/it | had leant |
| we | had leant |
| they | had leant |
Examples - Past Perfect
- I had leaned on colleagues before asking the boss.
- You had leaned toward accepting before the new offer.
- She had leaned against the door before it opened.
- We had leaned toward the proposal before details emerged.
- They had leaned on experience before the new data.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been leaning |
| you | had been leaning |
| he/she/it | had been leaning |
| we | had been leaning |
| they | had been leaning |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been leaning toward yes before reconsideration.
- You had been leaning on friends for years.
- He had been leaning against the wall for hours.
- We had been leaning toward one option for months.
- They had been leaning on suppliers for discounts.
Future Simple
| I | will lean |
| you | will lean |
| he/she/it | will lean |
| we | will lean |
| they | will lean |
Examples - Future Simple
- I will lean on your expertise for this matter.
- You will lean toward the practical solution.
- She will lean against the pillar for support.
- We will lean on technology to solve this problem.
- They will lean toward the safer investment.
Future Continuous
| I | will be leaning |
| you | will be leaning |
| he/she/it | will be leaning |
| we | will be leaning |
| they | will be leaning |
Examples - Future Continuous
- I will be leaning on your support throughout.
- You will be leaning toward acceptance soon.
- He will be leaning on his team for the project.
- We will be leaning toward a decision shortly.
- They will be leaning on partners for resources.
Future Perfect
| I | will have leant |
| you | will have leant |
| he/she/it | will have leant |
| we | will have leant |
| they | will have leant |
Examples - Future Perfect
- I will have leaned on many people by project end.
- You will have leaned toward a decision by then.
- She will have leaned on her network for help.
- We will have leaned toward the best option.
- They will have leaned on experts by the deadline.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been leaning |
| you | will have been leaning |
| he/she/it | will have been leaning |
| we | will have been leaning |
| they | will have been leaning |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been leaning on others for support.
- You will have been leaning toward this for months.
- He will have been leaning on his team for years.
- We will have been leaning on technology for decades.
- They will have been leaning on partners for years.