Meaning & use
intend
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To have a plan or aim in your mind to do something, whether soon or later.
Grammar: Followed by to plus a verb, or by an object: I intend to leave early, or I intend a short visit.
Patterns
- intend to do something
- intend someone to do something
- intend something
I intend to finish the report before lunch.
She had intended to call you, but the phone died.
We intend a short stay, no more than two nights.
verbtransitive
To design or choose something for a particular use, person or purpose.
Grammar: Often passive and followed by for or as: The room is intended for guests.
Patterns
- intend something for someone
- intend something as something
- be intended to do something
The park was intended for families with young children.
He intended the gift as a thank-you, not a bribe.
These tablets are intended to reduce pain, not cure the cause.
verbtransitive
To mean something by words or actions, especially when explaining what you really wanted to say.
Grammar: Takes an object, often negative: I did not intend that remark as an insult.
Patterns
- intend something as something
- intend no harm
I intended no offense by my question.
What exactly did the author intend by this ending?
She intended her joke kindly, but it came across as rude.
Word forms
| third person singular | intends |
|---|---|
| past tense | intended |
| past participle | intended |
| -ing form | intending |
Common combinations
- fully intend to
- I fully intend to pay you back by Friday.
- originally intended
- The building was originally intended as a hospital.
- intend no harm
- The visitor intended no harm, but the dog still barked.
- never intend to
- I never intended to hurt your feelings.
- be intended for
- This guide is intended for beginners.
- as intended
- The new lock worked as intended.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plan
- Plan suggests you have already thought about the steps and timing, while intend only states the aim you have in mind.
- mean
- Mean is more casual and common in speech, as in I meant to call, but it is less suited to formal writing than intend.
- aim
- Aim needs the pattern aim to do or aim at and suggests effort toward a target, so it feels more goal-driven than intend.
- propose
- Propose is formal and can mean to put an idea forward to others, while intend only describes your own private purpose.
Word family
- intention noun
- a plan or aim you have in mind
- intentional adjective
- done on purpose
- intentionally adverb
- deliberately, not by accident
- unintended adjective
- not planned or meant
- intent noun
- purpose, especially in a formal or legal setting
Commonly confused: intend or intent? intend or attend?
intend vs intent
Intent is mainly a noun (criminal intent) or an adjective (intent on winning), while intend is the verb you use for planning.
intend vs attend
Attend means to be present at an event or to give attention, but intend means to plan. They sound alike but never swap.
Practice
Which sentence is correct and natural?
Choose one answer.
Intend is normally followed by to plus the base verb. Intend going is old-fashioned or unusual, and intend go without to is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “intend”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.