rent
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en
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/rɛnt/
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Payment for temporary use, the act of hiring or letting property, or a tear in material.
Examples
We rented a car at the airport.
They repaired the rent before the next voyage.
The hall is rented for private events.
A long rent appeared in the sail.
She plans to rent rather than buy.
Similar words
rip
tear
rental payment
gash
hire charge
split
lease payment
lease
let
hire
Meanings
Examples
The rent is due on the first of each month.
Our rent includes water and heating.
They raised the rent by fifty pounds.
How much rent do you pay?
She shares the rent with two friends.
Similar words
rental payment
hire charge
lease payment
Examples
We rented a car at the airport.
They rent a flat near the university.
Can I rent this equipment for a day?
She plans to rent rather than buy.
The hall is rented for private events.
Examples
A long rent appeared in the sail.
He noticed a rent in the old curtain.
The branch made a rent in her coat.
Light came through a rent in the canvas.
They repaired the rent before the next voyage.
Etymology
The payment sense came through French from Latin reddere, “to give back.” The noun meaning “tear” has a separate Germanic history related to rend.
FAQ
It usually means payment for temporary use or the act of hiring or letting property; as a literary noun, it can mean a tear.
Can rent mean both hiring and letting?
Yes. Context shows whether someone pays to use an item or lets another person use it for payment.
What is the difference between rent and lease?
A lease usually involves a formal agreement for a set term, while rent can describe the payment or the more general arrangement.
Yes. In literary use, a rent is a tear or split in cloth or another material.
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