Intend

//ɪnˈtɛnd// verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To fix the mind upon (something, or something to be accomplished); be intent upon ambitransitive, usually

    "He intends to go to university."

  2. 2
    have in mind as a purpose wordnet
  3. 3
    To fix the mind on; attend to; take care of; superintend; regard.
  4. 4
    design or destine wordnet
  5. 5
    To stretch to extend; distend. obsolete
Show 8 more definitions
  1. 6
    denote or connote wordnet
  2. 7
    To strain; make tense.
  3. 8
    mean or intend to express or convey wordnet
  4. 9
    To intensify; strengthen. obsolete

    "Dotage, fatuity, or folly […] is for the most part intended or remitted in particular men, and thereupon some are wiser than others […]."

  5. 10
    To apply with energy.
  6. 11
    To bend or turn; direct, as one’s course or journey.
  7. 12
    To design mechanically or artistically; fashion; mold.
  8. 13
    To pretend; counterfeit; simulate.

Synonyms

All synonyms
meanmeanthinkadd up toaimaim at

Example

More examples

"I'm feeling ill, but I intend to go out anyhow."

Etymology

From Middle English intenden, entenden (“direct (one’s) attention towards”), borrowed from Old French entendre, from Latin intendō, intendere. See also intensive. Doublet of entendre. Largely displaced native Old English myntan (“to mean, intend; to think, suppose”), whence dialectal mint.

Related phrases

as God intendedhave aimmean tomeaning tomeant toon purposeplan onplan totake carewant to

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.