borrow

A2 Topic:Personal Finance

Also spelled borry’d

US /ˈbɑr.oʊ/ UK /ˈbɒɹəʊ/ See IPA manual

Freq #2312

Meanings

1

verb
To take something from someone for a short time, planning to give it back.

May I borrow your pen for a minute?
2

verb
To take money from a bank or person that you must pay back later.

They borrowed money from the bank to buy a house.
3

verb
To take and use an idea, word, or custom from someone or somewhere else.

English has borrowed many words from French.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 verb · to take and use an idea,... adopttake up

More creancedesumescunge

Opposites

buy carry lend return take

Word family

Forms borrowedborrowingborrows

Derived forms borrowabilityborrowableborrowdaleborroweeborrowerinborrownonborrowingoutborrowoverborrowpreborrowingreborrowunborrowing

Related forms borrower

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

borrow a book
to take a book temporarily from a library or another person

Verb + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Never marry for money, you can borrow it cheaper

Etymology

From Middle English borwen, borȝien, Old English borgian (“to borrow, lend, pledge surety for”), from Proto-West Germanic *borgōn, from Proto-Germanic *burgōną (“to pledge, take care of”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to take care”). Cognate with Dutch borgen (“to borrow, trust”), German borgen (“to borrow, lend”), Danish borge (“to vouch”). Related to Old English beorgan (“to save, preserve”). More at bury.

*bʰergʰ- Proto-Indo-European borwen Middle English borgian Old English *borgōn Proto-West Germanic *burgōną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Personal Finance Actions & Processes

External links

# borrow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɑr.oʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbɒɹəʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 2312

## Meanings
1. To take something from someone for a short time, planning to give it back.
2. To take money from a bank or person that you must pay back later.
3. To take and use an idea, word, or custom from someone or somewhere else.

## Examples
- May I borrow your pen for a minute?
- They borrowed money from the bank to buy a house.
- English has borrowed many words from French.

## Synonyms
- creance
- desume
- scunge

## Antonyms
- buy
- carry
- lend
- return
- take

## Derived Forms
- borrowability
- borrowable
- borrowdale
- borrowee
- borrower
- inborrow
- nonborrowing
- outborrow
- overborrow
- preborrowing
- reborrow
- unborrowing

## Related Forms
- borrower

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰergʰ-
- Root: borwen
- Root: borgian
- Root: *borgōn
- Root: *burgōną

## Etymology
From Middle English borwen, borȝien, Old English borgian (“to borrow, lend, pledge surety for”), from Proto-West Germanic *borgōn, from Proto-Germanic *burgōną (“to pledge, take care of”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to take care”). Cognate with Dutch borgen (“to borrow, trust”), German borgen (“to borrow, lend”), Danish borge (“to vouch”). Related to Old English beorgan (“to save, preserve”). More at bury.

## AI Etymology
Borrow comes from Middle English borwen, borȝien, Old English borgian (“to borrow, lend, pledge surety for”), from Proto-West Germanic *borgōn, from Proto-Germanic *burgōną (“to pledge, take care of”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to take care”). Cognate with Dutch borgen (“to borrow, trust”), German borgen (“to borrow, lend”), Danish borge (“to vouch”). Related to Old English beorgan (“to save, preserve”). More at bury.

## Topics
- Personal Finance
- Actions & Processes

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