tended; tending; tends
2
: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction
cannot tell where society is tending
tended; tending; tends
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
1
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
Verb (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of tend in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2024
The most outspoken members of this camp tend—perhaps not surprisingly—to be members of the Anthropocene Working Group.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The animals differ in size and appearance from Sumatran orangutans, as Bornean orangutans are generally larger in size and tend to have darker-colored fur.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
This age group is most at risk Frequent marijuana users tend to be leaner and less likely to develop diabetes.
—Lindsey Leake, Fortune Well, 19 Apr. 2024
For instance, in the nutrient-rich waters of the Pacific Northwest, orcas tend to feed on salmon.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Even then, the joke tends to be that Schlansky is right and Conan just doesn’t care.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
The rules tend to give public officials more leeway to choose a company based on favoritism.
—Irene Casado Sanchez, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Verb
Bourbon, as with the Fancy Free, tends to step on the maraschino’s toes a little, but (most) rye whiskey’s relative lack of a bold front palate allows the seductive charms of the maraschino to express itself.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2024
The most outspoken members of this camp tend—perhaps not surprisingly—to be members of the Anthropocene Working Group.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The animals differ in size and appearance from Sumatran orangutans, as Bornean orangutans are generally larger in size and tend to have darker-colored fur.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
This age group is most at risk Frequent marijuana users tend to be leaner and less likely to develop diabetes.
—Lindsey Leake, Fortune Well, 19 Apr. 2024
For instance, in the nutrient-rich waters of the Pacific Northwest, orcas tend to feed on salmon.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Even then, the joke tends to be that Schlansky is right and Conan just doesn’t care.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
The rules tend to give public officials more leeway to choose a company based on favoritism.
—Irene Casado Sanchez, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near tend
Cite this Entry
“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tend
1 of 2 verb1
: 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 verb1
: 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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