MEANING
1. To resist or keep something unwanted away.
2. To manage one's own needs without others' help.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- fend off criticism
- fend off an attack
On the page
She fended off the questions with a brief smile.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- fend
- Past tense
- fended
- Past participle
- fended
- Present participle
- fending
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- fend
- Present continuous
- am/is/are fending
- Present perfect
- have/has fended
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been fending
- Past
- fended
- Past continuous
- was/were fending
- Past perfect
- had fended
- Past perfect continuous
- had been fending
- Future
- will fend
- Future continuous
- will be fending
- Future perfect
- will have fended
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been fending
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: fend; fends; fended; fended; fending Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: fends.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.