mending
mending — noun
1. items of clothing that have holes, tears, or other damage and are waiting to be
items of clothing that have holes, tears, or other damage and are waiting to be sewn or patched back into good condition
Grandma keeps a basket of mending beside her chair and works on it every evening.
uncountable: a basket of mending
Wei brought his torn jacket to the tailor and left it with the rest of the mending.
collocation: left with the mending
The pile of mending grew larger after the children came home from summer camp.
Liam sorted through the mending and set aside the shirts that only needed new buttons.
- repairs
broader term; can apply to objects other than clothing
文法句型
mending + for + noun
用法筆記
Always uncountable; refers to a collection of items needing repair, not a single garment.
常見錯誤
2. the activity or process of fixing something that is broken, torn, or no longer w
the activity or process of fixing something that is broken, torn, or no longer working properly
The mending of the old stone wall took the workers three full days.
pattern: mending of [thing]
Elena spent the afternoon doing mending around the house instead of going out.
The mending of the roof had to wait until the dry weather arrived.
After years of neglect, the mending of the fence became a top priority for the neighbourhood committee.
文法句型
mending + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often describes the repair process for physical structures (walls, fences, roofs). Less common for everyday objects.
mending — verb
1. to return something that is broken, torn, or damaged to a good condition by sewi
to return something that is broken, torn, or damaged to a good condition by sewing, gluing, or otherwise fixing it
Nadia mended the rip in her backpack with a needle and strong thread.
mend + noun phrase: mend the rip
The shoemaker mended the leather sole of Hugo's favourite boots in less than an hour.
mend + specific object (boot sole)
Amara carefully mended the lace on her grandmother's wedding dress.
Tom tried to mend the fishing net before the salmon season began.
The broken toy was mended with glue and left to dry on the kitchen table.
文法句型
mend + noun phrase
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'fix' — 'mend' is slightly more traditional and often used for fabric, leather, nets, and other items that can be sewn or patched.
常見錯誤
2. to become healthy again after being ill, injured, or very weak, especially slowl
to become healthy again after being ill, injured, or very weak, especially slowly and naturally over time
After the operation, Kenji stayed home for two weeks to let his leg mend.
intransitive: let his leg mend
The doctor said the bone would mend on its own if Luis kept the cast dry.
bone mend — common collocation for fractures
Samira's sprained ankle mended faster than anyone expected.
Old scars take time to mend, but the body is surprisingly good at healing itself.
- worsen
to become more ill or injured
文法句型
mend (no object)
用法筆記
Primarily British in this sense. Often describes bones, wounds, or body parts healing naturally. 'Recover' or 'heal' are more common in American English.
常見錯誤
3. to improve or repair a relationship, friendship, or connection between people af
to improve or repair a relationship, friendship, or connection between people after an argument, disagreement, or difficult period
Chinua tried to mend his friendship with Omar by apologising for the harsh words he had said.
mend + friendship — common collocation
The two families mended their relationship after years of conflict over the land dispute.
A simple phone call can sometimes mend a broken bond between old friends.
Hana and Yumi finally mended their disagreement and went back to working together at the cafe.
文法句型
mend + noun phrase (relationship, friendship, ties)
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person or group. Object is always an abstract relationship noun — never a person. You mend a friendship, not a friend.
常見錯誤
4. to correct a mistake, error, or wrong situation by taking appropriate action
to correct a mistake, error, or wrong situation by taking appropriate action
The committee met to mend the errors in the budget report before it was submitted.
mend + errors — formal register
The new manager worked hard to mend the problems left by her predecessor.
Kwame realised he had given the wrong directions and quickly mended the mistake.
The fault in the accounting system was mended before any money went missing.
文法句型
mend + noun phrase (mistake, fault, error)
用法筆記
Fairly formal. More common in British English than American. 'Correct' or 'fix' are more neutral alternatives.
常見錯誤
5. to improve one's behaviour, character, or moral standards after a period of wron
to improve one's behaviour, character, or moral standards after a period of wrongdoing, especially by making a conscious decision to change
After spending a year in prison, Dev decided to mend his ways and start a new life.
fixed expression: mend one's ways
The priest told the young man that it was never too late to mend and seek forgiveness.
intransitive: mend = reform
Kavita knew she had hurt her family and promised to mend before it was too late.
After the court case, Santiago mended his ways and left the gang that had led him into trouble.
- reform
stronger; implies a complete change in character
- improve
milder and more general
- turn over a new leaf
idiom with the same meaning, less formal
- backslide
to return to bad behaviour after attempting to change
文法句型
mend + one's ways
mend (no object)
用法筆記
The fixed phrase 'mend one's ways' is the most common form. Used intransitively ('he mended') it is old-fashioned and mostly restricted to literary or religious contexts.