Join free

mend

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

mend¹

  • /mɛnd/ US, UK
  • /mɪnd/ pin pen merger

Rhymes with -ɛnd

Where it comes from

From Middle English menden (“to cure; to do good to, benefit; to do or make better, improve; to get better, recover; to keep in a good state; to put right, amend; to reform, repent”), the aphetic form of amenden (“to alter, change (especially for the better); to atone; to chastise, punish; to correct, remedy, amend; to cure; to excel, surpass; to forgive; to get or make better, improve; to make ready; to mend, repair, restore; to get well, recover; to relieve”), or from its etymon Anglo-Norman amender and Old French amender (“to cure; to fix, repair; to set right, correct”) (modern French amender), from Latin ēmendāre, the present active infinitive of ēmendō (“to atone; to chastise, punish; to correct, remedy, amend; to cure”), from ē- (variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’)) + mendum (“defect; error, fault”) (from Proto-Indo-European *mend- (“defect; fault”)) + -ō (suffix forming first-conjugation verbs).

verb mends · mending · mended · mend

  1. transitive To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged). My trousers have a big rip in them and need mending.

    Similar: amend, correct, fix, fix up, furbish, retrieve, make whole, mend, patch, put to rights, rectify, recondition

  2. figuratively, transitive To add fuel to (a fire). [I]n, you Rogue, and vvipe the pigges, and mend the fire, that they fall not, or I'le both baſte and roaſt you, till your eyes drop out, like 'hem.
  3. figuratively, transitive To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy. Dro[mio of Syracuse]. […] [S]he ſvveats a man may goe ouer-ſhooes in the grime of it. / Anti[pholus of Syracuse]. That's a fault that vvater vvill mend.

    Similar: make good, set straight

  4. figuratively, transitive To put (something) in a better state; to ameliorate, to improve, to reform, to set right. Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist.
  5. figuratively, transitive To remove fault or sin from (someone, or their behaviour or character); to improve morally, to reform. Youle not endure him, god ſhall mend my ſoule, / Youle make a mutinie among my gueſts: […]
  6. figuratively, transitive In mend one's pace: to adjust (a pace or speed), especially to match that of someone or something else; also, to quicken or speed up (a pace). Cudgell thy braines no more about it, for your dull aſſe vvill not mend his pace vvith beating, […]
  7. archaic, figuratively, transitive To correct or put right the defects, errors, or faults of (something); to amend, to emend, to fix. Salt Earth and bitter are not fit to ſovv, / Nor vvill be tam'd or mended vvith the Plough.
  8. archaic, figuratively, transitive To increase the quality of (someone or something); to better, to improve on; also, to produce something better than (something else). [N]ay he can ſing / A meane moſt meanely, and in huſhering, / Mende him vvho can, the Ladies call him ſvveete.
  9. archaic, figuratively, transitive To make amends or reparation for (a wrong done); to atone. Yee may sir, (quoth he), mend three nayes with one yee.
  10. figuratively, regional, transitive To restore (someone or something) to a healthy state; to cure, to heal. Yearly thy Herds in vigour vvill impair; / Recruit and mend 'em vvith thy Yearly care: […]
  11. obsolete, transitive To adjust or correctly position (something; specifically (nautical), a sail). VVhy he vvill looke vppon his boote, and ſing: mend the Ruffe and ſing, aske queſtions and ſing, picke his teeth, and ſing: I knovv a man that had this tricke of melancholy hold a goodly Mannor for a ſong.
  12. obsolete, transitive To put out (a candle).
  13. figuratively, obsolete, transitive To add one or more things in order to improve (something, especially wages); to supplement; also, to remedy a shortfall in (something). VVill you goe vvith me, vvee'll mend our dinner here?
  14. figuratively, obsolete, transitive To relieve (distress); to alleviate, to ease.
  15. figuratively, obsolete, reflexive, transitive To reform (oneself). [B]id the diſhoneſt man mend himſelf, if he mend, he is no longer diſhoneſt; […]
  16. also, figuratively, obsolete, reflexive, transitive To improve the condition or fortune of (oneself or someone). [W]hatſoeuer is Nevv, is vnlooked for; And euer it mends Some, and pairs Other: […]
  17. England, obsolete, regional, transitive To repair the clothes of (someone). "Ready?" said the old gentleman inquiringly, when his guests had been washed, mended, brushed, and brandied.
  18. Northern Ireland, Scotland, figuratively, obsolete, transitive To cause (a person or animal) to gain weight; to fatten.
  19. Scotland, figuratively, obsolete, transitive Chiefly with the impersonal pronoun it: to provide a benefit to (someone); to advantage, to profit.
  20. figuratively, intransitive Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal. My long ſickneſſe / Of Health, and Liuing, novv begins to mend, […]
  21. figuratively, intransitive Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness. The queen is mending of her gout, and intends to be brought in a chair to parliament when it meets, […]
  22. archaic, figuratively, intransitive Now only in least said, soonest mended: to make amends or reparation. You are in a peck of troubles, as most men are who are free-livers, and are led astray by artful and alluring females. However, as Lady Betty says, 'the least said the soonest mended.'
  23. Scotland, figuratively, intransitive To become morally improved or reformed. Let ſhame come vvhen it vvill, I doe not callit, / […] / Mend vvhen thou canſt, be better at thy leaſure, / I can be patient, […]
  24. intransitive, obsolete Chiefly used together with make: to make repairs. An evill pen, is that vvhich is ſouple or vveake, vvhich vvhen thou makeſt, or mendeſt, muſt haue a ſhort ſlit, and bee ſuffered to remaine great on both ſides, becauſe it is vveake; […]
  25. figuratively, intransitive, obsolete To advance to a better state; to become less bad or faulty; to improve. Then would ye mend as the fletcher mends his bolt, / Or sowre ale mendeth in summer, […]
  26. figuratively, intransitive, obsolete To improve in amount or price.
  27. figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Of an error, fault, etc.: to be corrected or put right. Young men, whose passions are not a little unruly, give small hopes of their ever being considerable; the fire of youth will of course abate, and is a fault, if it be a fault, that mends every day; but surely, unless a man has fire in his youth, he can hardly have warmth in old age.
  28. figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Followed by of: to recover from a bad state; to get better, to grow out of.
  29. Northern Ireland, Scotland, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Of an animal: to gain weight, to fatten.
  30. Scotland, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete To advantage, to avail, to help.

mend²

  • /mɛnd/ US, UK
  • /mɪnd/ pin pen merger

Rhymes with -ɛnd

Where it comes from

Partly:

* (chiefly etymology 2 sense 2 (“recompense; restoration or reparation”)) from Middle English mend, mende (“cure, remedy; damages, recompense; atonement; penance; relief”), the aphetic form of amende, amendes (“retribution, amends; a fine; atonement; penance”) (though attested slightly earlier); or directly from its etymon Anglo-Norman amende, Middle French amende, and Old French amende (“a fine”) (modern French amende), from amender (verb) (see etymology 1); and

* from mend (verb).

noun mends

  1. countable, uncountable An act of repairing. My trousers have a big rip in them and need a mend.
  2. countable, uncountable A place in a thing (such as a tear in clothing) which has been repaired.
  3. countable, uncountable Chiefly in on the mend: improvement in health; recovery from illness. Though he was fearfully weak, he found himself actually feeling better. The disease had spent itself, and the mend had begun.
  4. obsolete, uncountable Recompense; restoration or reparation, especially (Christianity) from sin.

    Similar: mends

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: repair, heal, restore, patch, touch on, fix, bushel, doctor, furbish up, repairing, replenish, restoration, reform, overhaul, rehabilitate, redress

Translations

Every language

verb to physically repair (something that is damaged)

Españolremendar, enmendar
한국어고치다 gochida, 수리하다 suri-hada
日本語直す naosu, 修理する shūri suru
中文修補 /修补 xiūbǔ, 修改 xiūgǎi, 修理 xiūlǐ
हिन्दीठीक करना ṭhīk karnā
Kiswahilikutengeneza
Portuguêsconsertar, reparar
Françaisraccommoder, réparer
Deutschflicken, reparieren
Italianoriparare
Ελληνικάεπισκευάζω episkevázo
Românădrege, repara
Русскийчини́ть činítʹ, почини́ть počinítʹ, исправля́ть ispravljátʹ, испра́вить isprávitʹ
Tiếng Việtsửa chữa
العربيةأَصْلَحَ ʔaṣlaḥa

verb to repair (a tear in clothing)

Españolremendar, surcir, zurcir, corcusir, cusir
Portuguêsremendar
Françaisrapiécer
Italianorammendare
Русскийзашивать zašivatʹ, заши́ть zašítʹ, заштопывать zaštopyvatʹ
Tiếng Việtkhâu, vá

noun act of repairing

Portuguêsconserto, reparo
Русскийлата́ние latánije, почи́нка počínka, што́пка štópka, зала́тывание zalátyvanije, зашто́пывание zaštópyvanije
Tiếng Việtsửa, vá

noun place in a thing which has been repaired

Españolremiendo
Portuguêsremendo
Русскийзапла́та zapláta, запла́тка zaplátka, заши́тая ды́рка zašítaja dýrka

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"mend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mend. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

mend. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mend

Chicago

"mend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mend.

BibTeX
@misc{mend_2026,
  title = {mend},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mend},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}