Meaning & use
borrow
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To take and use something that belongs to someone else, with the intention of returning it.
Grammar: Takes an object: borrow a book. Often followed by 'from': borrow from someone.
Patterns
- borrow something
- borrow something from someone
- borrow from someone
Can I borrow your pen for a moment?
She borrowed a dress from her sister for the party.
He borrowed money from the bank to start his business.
verbtransitive
To take words, ideas, or customs from another language, culture, or source.
Grammar: Often used in passive or with 'from'.
Patterns
- borrow something from something
- borrow from a language
English has borrowed many words from French.
The artist borrowed ideas from classical paintings.
Word forms
| third person singular | borrows |
|---|---|
| past tense | borrowed |
| past participle | borrowed |
| -ing form | borrowing |
Common combinations
- borrow money
- I had to borrow money to pay for the repairs.
- borrow a book
- You can borrow a book from the library for two weeks.
- borrow from someone
- He borrowed a ladder from his neighbor.
- borrow an idea
- The designer borrowed an idea from nature.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lend
- Lend means to give something to someone temporarily; borrow means to take it. You borrow from someone, but you lend to someone.
- loan
- Loan is more formal and often used for money; borrow is the general verb for taking something temporarily.
Opposites
Word family
- borrower noun
- A person who borrows something.
- borrowing noun
- The act of taking something temporarily, or a word taken from another language.
Commonly confused: borrow or lend?
borrow vs lend
Lend means to give something to someone for a short time; borrow means to take it. You borrow from someone, but you lend to someone.
Practice
I need to ______ some money from the bank.
Choose one answer.
You borrow money from a bank (you receive it and must return it). Lend means to give money to someone else.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “borrow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.