borrow
gb/bˈɑɹoʊ/ us/bˈɑɹoʊ/
A2
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Take and use temporarily
To take something from someone for a short time and give it back later.
Usage pattern:
to borrow [something] from [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'borrow' and 'lend'. Remember: you borrow FROM someone, and you lend TO someone.
Synonyms
take on loan (More formal phrase emphasizing the legal or financial nature of borrowing.)
Antonyms
lend (The opposite action — giving something to someone temporarily.)
Collocations
borrow money
|borrow a book
|borrow ideas
|borrow clothes
|borrow time
Themes
daily life
|finance
|education
|daily_life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I need to borrow some sugar from my neighbor.
- She borrowed a dress from her sister for the party.
- Can I borrow your phone for a minute?
- He borrowed a book from the library.
- They borrowed chairs from the community center for the event.
Learner examples
- I want to borrow a pen.
- Can I borrow your book?
- She will borrow my car.
- We borrow games from the library.
- He borrows money from the bank.
Verb
B1
action
2
Adopt from another source
To use an idea, word, or style from another place or time.
Usage pattern:
to borrow [an idea/word/style] from [a source]
Common mistake:
Some learners overuse this meaning for physical objects; it is more common for ideas, words, or styles in this sense.
Synonyms
adopt (Focuses on taking something and making it your own, sometimes permanently.)
Antonyms
originate (To create something yourself instead of taking it from elsewhere.)
Collocations
borrow a word
|borrow a style
|borrow an idea
Themes
language
|culture
|arts
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- English has borrowed many words from French.
- The film borrows heavily from classic horror movies.
- She borrowed the concept from Japanese architecture.
- Our menu borrows flavors from Mediterranean cuisine.
Learner examples
- English borrows words from many languages.
- The story borrows ideas from old books.
- This song borrows a style from jazz music.
Verb
technical
B1
action
3
Obtain funds on credit
To get money from someone and agree to pay it back later.
Usage pattern:
to borrow [amount of money] from [lender]
Common mistake:
Learners may forget that this meaning implies repayment, often with interest, especially in formal contexts.
Synonyms
take out a loan (Specifically refers to borrowing in a formal financial context.)
Antonyms
repay (The opposite stage of the borrowing process — giving back the borrowed money.)
Collocations
borrow money
|borrow funds
|borrow capital
Themes
finance
|business
|daily_life
Examples
- The company plans to borrow $5 million to expand operations.
- She borrowed money from the bank to buy a house.
- We had to borrow funds to cover the unexpected expenses.
Learner examples
- I borrow money from the bank.
- He borrows $100 from his friend.
- They borrow money to start a shop.
Grammar
Dictionary form
borrow
IPA
GB/bˈɑɹoʊ/
US/bˈɑɹoʊ/
Syllables & stress
bor - row (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (bor)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: borrow
- 3rd Person Singular: borrows
- Present Participle: borrowing
- Past: borrowed
Word family
Expressions
borrow time
1/bˈɑɹoʊ tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
Continue longer than expected
To continue living or doing something after you were expected to stop or fail.
Examples
- After his heart surgery, he felt he was living on borrowed time.
- The company is on borrowed time unless profits improve.
borrow trouble
2/bˈɑɹoʊ tɹˈʌbəl/
idiom
informal
Cause unnecessary problems for yourself
To make problems for yourself by worrying or acting when you don't need to.
Examples
- Don't borrow trouble by asking too many questions about it now.
- She tends to borrow trouble by imagining worst-case scenarios.