tend

1 of 2

verb (1)

tended; tending; tends

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
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

Examples of tend in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Competitive schools tend to attract high-performing students who can be terrific employees. Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Webster tends to emphasize the music over vocals, grooving with her band and stretching tracks out for minutes at a time. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Only her wish fulfillments tend to come with a catch. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Workers hamstrung by low pay at the start of their careers tend to fall behind exponentially in opportunities, earning power and retirement savings. Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasuries, which move based on a combination of anticipation about the Fed actions, what the Fed actually does and investors’ reactions. Anna Bahney, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Additionally, existing data tends to focus on average body size, while measures of size variation within species are harder to find. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 Couples, for the most part, tend to stay faithful for life, which can add at least three years on to life. Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 But Take Note This pick tends to run small, so if your kiddo is between sizes, order the size up. Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 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.

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

Dictionary Entries Near tend

Cite this Entry

“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tend

1 of 2 verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on tend

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