mend

Fetched 2026-10-28 (live).

Datamuse reports no synonyms or antonyms for this word.

Verb

1. To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged).
   • My trousers have a big rip in them and need mending.
   • When your car breaks down, you can take it to the garage to have it mended.
   • Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist.
   • My broken heart was mended.
2. To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged).
   • My trousers have a big rip in them and need mending.
   • When your car breaks down, you can take it to the garage to have it mended.
3. To add fuel to (a fire). To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy.
   • Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist.
   • My broken heart was mended.
4. To add fuel to (a fire).
5. To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy.
6. To put (something) in a better state; to ameliorate, to improve, to reform, to set right.
   • Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist.
   • My broken heart was mended.
7. To remove fault or sin from (someone, or their behaviour or character); to improve morally, to reform.
8. 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).
9. To correct or put right the defects, errors, or faults of (something); to amend, to emend, to fix.
10. To increase the quality of (someone or something); to better, to improve on; also, to produce something better than (something else).
11. To make amends or reparation for (a wrong done); to atone.
12. To restore (someone or something) to a healthy state; to cure, to heal.
13. To adjust or correctly position (something; specifically , a sail). To put out (a candle). To add one or more things in order to improve (something, especially wages); to supplement; also, to remedy a shortfall in (something). To relieve (distress); to alleviate, to ease. To reform (oneself). To improve the condition or fortune of (oneself or someone). To repair the clothes of (someone). To cause (a person or animal) to gain weight; to fatten. Chiefly with the impersonal pronoun it: to provide a benefit to (someone); to advantage, to profit.
14. To adjust or correctly position (something; specifically , a sail).
15. To put out (a candle).
16. To add one or more things in order to improve (something, especially wages); to supplement; also, to remedy a shortfall in (something).
17. To relieve (distress); to alleviate, to ease.
18. To reform (oneself).
19. To improve the condition or fortune of (oneself or someone).
20. To repair the clothes of (someone).
21. To cause (a person or animal) to gain weight; to fatten.
22. Chiefly with the impersonal pronoun it: to provide a benefit to (someone); to advantage, to profit.
23. Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal. Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness. Now only in least said, soonest mended: to make amends or reparation. To become morally improved or reformed. Chiefly used together with make: to make repairs. To advance to a better state; to become less bad or faulty; to improve. To improve in amount or price. Of an error, fault, etc.: to be corrected or put right. Followed by of: to recover from a bad state; to get better, to grow out of. Of an animal: to gain weight, to fatten. To advantage, to avail, to help.
24. Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal. Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness. Now only in least said, soonest mended: to make amends or reparation. To become morally improved or reformed.
25. Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal.
26. Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness.
27. Now only in least said, soonest mended: to make amends or reparation.
28. To become morally improved or reformed.
29. Chiefly used together with make: to make repairs. To advance to a better state; to become less bad or faulty; to improve. To improve in amount or price. Of an error, fault, etc.: to be corrected or put right. Followed by of: to recover from a bad state; to get better, to grow out of. Of an animal: to gain weight, to fatten. To advantage, to avail, to help.
30. Chiefly used together with make: to make repairs.
31. To advance to a better state; to become less bad or faulty; to improve.
32. To improve in amount or price.
33. Of an error, fault, etc.: to be corrected or put right.
34. Followed by of: to recover from a bad state; to get better, to grow out of.
35. Of an animal: to gain weight, to fatten.
36. To advantage, to avail, to help.

Noun

1. Senses relating to improvement or repairing. An act of repairing.
   • My trousers have a big rip in them and need a mend.
2. An act of repairing.
   • My trousers have a big rip in them and need a mend.
3. A place in a thing (such as a tear in clothing) which has been repaired.
4. Chiefly in on the mend: improvement in health; recovery from illness.
5. Recompense; restoration or reparation, especially from sin.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.