lean

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++ldoce_197_blean1 /liːn/ ●●○ S3 verb (past tense and past participle leaned or leant /lent/ especially British English)  1  [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]BEND to move or bend your body in a particular direction 屈身；倾斜身体lean forward/back/over etc They were leaning forward, facing each other. 他们面对面身体前倾。 Lean back and enjoy the ride. 身体往后靠，尽情享受乘车旅行的乐趣吧。 She leant towards him and listened. 她探过身子去听他说。 →5  See picture of LEAN 倚靠 →4  See picture of 见图 lean2  [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]SUPPORT/HOLD UP to support yourself in a sloping position against a wall or other surface 倚，靠lean against/on He was leaning on the bridge, watching the boats go by. 他靠在桥上，看着船来船往。3  [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put something in a sloping position where it is supported, or to be in that position 使斜靠；斜靠在…lean (something) against/on something A huge mirror was leaning against the wall. 一面巨大的镜子斜靠在墙上。 He leant his bicycle against the fence. 他把自行车斜靠在篱笆上。4  [intransitive]BEND to slope or bend from an upright position 倾斜；弯曲 trees leaning in the wind 在风中东倒西歪的树木5 lean on somebody phrasal verb a) DEPEND/IT DEPENDSto depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time 〔尤指在困难时刻〕依靠，倚赖 The couple lean on each other for support. 夫妻俩互相扶持。b) informalPERSUADE to try to influence someone, especially by threatening them 〔尤指通过恐吓对某人〕施加压力 He won’t pay unless you lean on him. 你不吓吓他，他是不会付钱的。6 lean towards something phrasal verb SUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLANto tend to support, or begin to support, a particular set of opinions, beliefs etc 倾向于，向…倾斜 Canada, the UK and Japan leant towards the US view. 加拿大、英国和日本都倾向于支持美国的看法。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

lean• I leant across to her and asked whether I should pay the Rao directly and if so how much.• Petey, leaning against a post, looked pissed off.• First the old man dead on the beach, leaning against the railing.• Joe was leaning against the school wall, smoking a cigarette.• He opened the gate, walked up the drive, and stopped, staring at the bicycle leaning against the wall.• I leaned back on the pillows and closed my eyes.• He was leaning down, his spear arm back, the gleaming bronze blade wavering as it came towards her.• He leant forward on the table, emphasising the points with a thin finger.• All of the trees were leaning in the wind.• Joe leaned on the gate and watched as they drove away.• She leaned on the railings and looked out at the sea.• David was driving and Shaun was leaning over.• And she leans so far forward to his match that even clear across the room I could see down her blouse.• She leaned the ladder against the house and climbed up to the window.• Soldiers leaned their M-16 rifles up against their tables as they ate.• It's sometimes considered bad manners to lean your elbows on the table when you're eating.lean forward/back/over etc• There, wearing his mailbag and leaning over her desk, was Harold Newland, the postman.• I lean back into my own corner of the porch swing and hold on to myself.• But this man could very well lean forward just as Mrs Fanning had done downstairs.• Mrs Crump cried to herself, leaning forward now on a Pisan scale.• He leant forward on the table, emphasising the points with a thin finger.• So he peered, leaning forward to catch a whiff of scent, listening to the man's quiet muttering.• Graham felt himself leaning forward, wanting to catch her reply.lean against/on• They were leaning against a parked car, waiting for a table together.• He was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed.• The powerful aggregates industry is already leaning on him hard to prevent him from doing so.• They were seated on the far side, some in chairs, some leaning on the desk.• First the old man dead on the beach, leaning against the railing.• Dieter Bartsch's Norsemen were not leaning on their oars.

Related topics: Food

lean2 adjective  1  THIN PERSONthin in a healthy and attractive way 苗条的，瘦而健美的 He was lean, tall, and muscular. 他身材瘦高，肌肉结实。► see thesaurus at thin2. DFlean meat does not have much fat on it 〔肉〕瘦的，脂肪少的 OPP fatty3. EFFICIENTa lean organization, company etc uses only as much money and as many people as it needs, so that nothing is wasted 〔组织、公司等〕节俭的，精简的4  PROBLEMa lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc 收益差的；不景气的 His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years. 在不景气的那些年里，妻子一直在支持他。 —leanness noun [uncountable]

Examples from the Corpus

lean• He was tragic looking, lean.• a lean and athletic man• At seventy-two my grandfather was lean and strong and I expected him to live forever.• He's a very handsome man: tall, lean and tanned with thick blond hair.• In this age of lean corporations, more workers are expected to work overtime.• For what seemed an age, she studied his features, strong lean features which she had come to know so well.• A company with severe cash flow problems may have no choice but to run a lean inventory operation.• Operating efficiency ratios show that Technosystems runs a lean operation, with all ratios above the industry averages.• She had a runner's lean physique and an overall healthy glow.• It is lean production at its meanest.• a lean year for businesslean years• Nothing came along immediately and ahead were a couple of lean years.• The Richmond Meet is clearly thriving - but how did it manage to survive the lean years?• Although two lean years by his standard followed, Davis, 34, still reached two world semi-finals.• She was, after all the lean years, fairly bursting with plans.• There the religious instruction started by his father, who for all the lean years had been his schoolteacher, continued.• She had gone through seven lean years; this was evidently one of her full ones.• The gamble seemed worthwhile as the lean years were few.• Those were lean years, without money for trips to the cinema.From Longman Business Dictionaryleanlean /liːn/ adjective1COMMERCEusing the most effective methods and the fewest employees possibleIn the struggle to turn the company into a lean commercial outfit, some lines have been discontinued altogether.2MANUFACTURING lean manufacturing uses methods and techniques to produce goods as cheaply as possible, for example by using as few workers as possible and using JUST-IN-TIME methods, where parts are delivered only when they are neededAmerican companies are learning the tricks of lean manufacture.3COMMERCEa lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etca lean year for businessMany Welsh tourist attractions are having a very lean time. —leanness noun [uncountable]To achieve the necessary leanness, many more jobs will have to be lost in the defence industry across Europe.Origin lean1 Old English hleonian lean2 Old English hlæne

lean1 verblean2 adjectiveChinese  

or bend to your Business body move Corpus

Lean
Lean, Sir David
(1908–91) a British film director who made many well-known films, such as Brief Encounter (1945), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)

lean

I

lean¹ S3 /liːn/ verb (past tense and past participle leaned or leant /lent/ especially British English)1. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move or bend your body in a particular direction
    lean forward/back/over etc
    They were leaning forward, facing each other.
    Lean back and enjoy the ride.
    She leant towards him and listened.
2.
   [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to support yourself in a sloping position against a wall or other surface
    lean against/on
    He was leaning on the bridge, watching the boats go by.
3. [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put something in a sloping position where it is supported, or to be in that position
    lean (something) against/on something
    A huge mirror was leaning against the wall.
    He leant his bicycle against the fence.
4. [intransitive] to slope or bend from an upright position:
    trees leaning in the wind
     
lean on somebody phrasal verb
  1. to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time:
    The couple lean on each other for support.
  2. informal to try to influence someone, especially by threatening them:
    He won’t pay unless you lean on him.
lean towards something phrasal verb
  to tend to support, or begin to support, a particular set of opinions, beliefs etc:
    Canada, the UK and Japan leant towards the US view.

II

lean² adjective1. thin in a healthy and attractive way:
    He was lean, tall, and muscular.
2. lean meat does not have much fat on it
   OPP  fatty
3. a lean organization, company etc uses only as much money and as many people as it needs, so that nothing is wasted
4. a lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc:
    His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years.
—leanness noun [uncountable]
     

THESAURUS

■ person
   ▪ thin having little fat on your body: a tall, thin man
   ▪ slim thin in an attractive way: her slim figure | a slim woman in her fifties | Magazines are always full of advice about how to stay slim.
   ▪ slender written thin in an attractive and graceful way – used especially about parts of the body, and used especially about women: her long, slender legs | She is slender, with very fair hair.
   ▪ lean thin and looking healthy and fit: his lean body | He was lean and looked like a runner.
   ▪ skinny very thin in a way that is not attractive: a skinny teenager | Your arms are so skinny!
   ▪ slight written thin and delicate: a small, slight girl with big eyes
   ▪ scrawny /ˈskrɔːni $ ˈskrɒː-/ very thin, small, and weak-looking: a scrawny kid in blue jeans
   ▪ underweight below the usual weight for someone of your height, and therefore too thin: He had no appetite and remained underweight.
   ▪ gaunt /ɡɔːnt $ ɡɒːnt/ written very thin and pale, especially because of illness or continued worry: He looked gaunt and had not shaved for days.
   ▪ emaciated /ɪˈmeɪʃieɪtəd, ɪˈmeɪʃieɪtɪd, -si-/ written extremely thin and weak, because you are ill or not getting enough to eat: The tents were filled with emaciated refugees.
   ▪ skeletal written used about someone who is so thin that you can see the shape of their bones: The soldiers were shocked by the skeletal figures of the camp’s prisoners.
   ▪ anorexic used about someone who is extremely thin because they have a mental illness that makes them stop eating: Her daughter is anorexic. | anorexic teenagers