rent
gb/ɹˈɛnt/ us/ɹˈɛnt/
A2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Pay to use temporarily
To give money so you can use something for a short or long time, like a house or car.
Usage pattern:
to rent [something] from [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rent' with 'lend'; 'rent' means you pay to use something, while 'lend' means you give something to someone temporarily without payment.
Synonyms
lease (Often used for longer-term, more formal rental agreements.)
Antonyms
own (Means having legal possession instead of temporary use.)
Collocations
rent an apartment
|rent a car
|rent a house
|rent equipment
Themes
business
|daily life
|housing
|travel
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- We decided to rent a car for our trip.
- They rent their apartment from a local landlord.
- You can rent ski equipment at the resort.
- The company rents office space downtown.
Learner examples
- I want to rent a car.
- We rent a small house.
- He rents a bike every weekend.
- They rent a room near the school.
Verb
B1
action
2
Let someone use for payment
To let someone use your thing if they give you money.
Usage pattern:
to rent [something] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse the direction: 'rent from' means you pay; 'rent to' means you receive payment.
Synonyms
let (Common in British English for renting property to tenants.)
Antonyms
keep (To retain and not allow others to use.)
Collocations
rent out a flat
|rent rooms to students
|rent property
Themes
business
|daily life
|housing
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- They rent their basement apartment to college students.
- She rents out her cottage during the summer.
- The company rents office space to several startups.
Learner examples
- I rent my room to a student.
- They rent their car to tourists.
- He rents his house every summer.
Noun
A2
entity
3
Payment for temporary use
Money you pay each month or week to use a place or thing.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rent' (payment) with 'bill'; rent is for property or equipment, bills are for services like water or electricity.
Synonyms
lease payment (More formal or contractual term, often for vehicles or equipment.)
Antonyms
purchase price (The total cost paid to own something permanently.)
Collocations
pay the rent
|high rent
|monthly rent
Themes
business
|daily life
|housing
|finance
|daily_life
Examples
- Our monthly rent is due on the first of the month.
- The rent for this apartment is too high.
- She fell behind on her rent payments.
Learner examples
- I pay rent every month.
- The rent is very high.
- He forgot to pay his rent.
Verb
C1
action
4
Tear apart by force
To tear something into pieces by pulling hard.
Usage pattern:
to rent [something] apart
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'tear'; 'rent' in this sense is more literary or formal and less common in daily speech.
Synonyms
rip (Less formal and more common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
mend (To repair something that has been torn or damaged.)
Collocations
rent apart
|rent in two
Themes
violence
|physical actions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The explosion rented the ship's hull.
- Grief seemed to rent his heart in two.
- The wind rented the sails during the storm.
Learner examples
- The wind rented the flag.
- She rented the paper in half.
- They rented the cloth with a knife.
Noun
literary
C1
entity
5
Tear or opening caused by force
A big hole or cut made when something is torn.
Synonyms
rip (Common and neutral term for a tear in material.)
Antonyms
repair (The act of fixing an opening or tear.)
Collocations
a rent in the fabric
|a rent in the earth
Themes
objects
|damage
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There was a rent in his shirt where it caught on the nail.
- A violent quake left rents in the ground.
- The curtain had several rents along its edge.
Learner examples
- I see a rent in your coat.
- The cloth has a rent in it.
- There is a rent in the tent.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rent
IPA
GB/ɹˈɛnt/
US/ɹˈɛnt/
Syllables & stress
rent (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rent)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rent
- Plural: rent, rents
Verb
- Base: rent
- 3rd Person Singular: rents
- Present Participle: renting
- Past: rented
Word family
Expressions
for rent
1/fɚ ɹˈɛnt/
fixed phrase
Available to be rented
Used to say something can be used if you pay money for it for some time.
Examples
- There’s a studio apartment for rent downtown.
- Bicycles for rent are available at the park entrance.
pay the rent
1/pˈeɪ ðə ɹˈɛnt/
fixed phrase
Give money owed for temporary use of property/equipment
To give money you owe each month or week for using a place or thing.
Examples
- I have to pay the rent by Friday.
- She works two jobs just to pay the rent.
rent out
1/ɹˈɛnt ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Allow others paid use of property you own
To let other people use your thing if they give you money.
Examples
- They decided to rent out their garage as storage space.
- We rent out our cabin every winter to skiers.
up for rent
1/ˈʌp fɚ ɹˈɛnt/
fixed phrase
Being offered for rental by owner
Used when something is being offered so people can pay money to use it for some time.
Examples
- The house is now up for rent after renovations.
- Several offices are up for rent in that building.