Word.ws English Dictionary

leaning into

leaning into is the present participle and gerund of lean into.

Meaning of lean into

Verb

lean into (third-person singular simple present leans into, present participle leaning into, simple past and past participle leaned into or leant into)

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lean, into.
    • When we work a line with our thumbs we lean into it with our bodyweight.2009, Howard Derek Evans, A Myofascial Approach to Thai Massage, →ISBN
  2. To make an effort with; to work hard at; to show determination and perseverance.
    • Hartman leaned into his work like he would lean into a winter blizzard, Grandma's tearful conniptions merely the whining of the wind.2005, Susan Edsall, Into the Blue: A Father's Flight and a Daughter's Return, →ISBN
  3. To embrace; to experience fully or respond to wholeheartedly.
    • But we also threw in the third question to help people lean into their own feelings and experiences.2003, Don Everts, Douglas Scott, Jesus with Dirty Feet Discussion Guide, →ISBN
  4. To take on or embrace something difficult or unpleasant, usually through determination or perseverance; to find a way to benefit from, or alleviate the harm of, risk, uncertainty and difficult situations.
    • In other words, you will pay not just later, but more. Lean into your discomfort.1998, William Wallace, Living Again: A Personal Journey for Surviving Spouses, →ISBN, page 108

Questions about leaning into

What is leaning into the present participle and gerund of?
Leaning into is the present participle and gerund of lean into.

Words near leaning into in the dictionary

  1. leanin'
  2. leaning
  3. leaning board
  4. leaning boards
  5. leaning in
  6. leaning into
  7. leaning on
  8. leaning over backwards
  9. leaning toothpick syndrome
  10. leaning towards
  11. Leaning Tower

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: leaning into (page history and authors); lean into (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “leaning into.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/leaning_into. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.