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
Examples of tend in a Sentence
Verb (1)
her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics
Verb (2)
tend the store while I run an errand
lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden
plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens
the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
Those elements are mixed in with stories of rape, misogyny and ancestral theft that have occurred over generations, but the blend isn’t easy to follow and Chong’s message tends to get lost in the confusion.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Tech companies tend to operate very differently from pizza joints.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
The picturesque grounds tend to steal the show here, though.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tend
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Verb
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
Those elements are mixed in with stories of rape, misogyny and ancestral theft that have occurred over generations, but the blend isn’t easy to follow and Chong’s message tends to get lost in the confusion.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Tech companies tend to operate very differently from pizza joints.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
The picturesque grounds tend to steal the show here, though.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tend
Cite this Entry
“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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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