borrow meaning

The word ‘borrow’ means to take and use something with the intention to return it.

borrow :

to take and use something temporarily

Verb

▪ Can I borrow your pen?

▪ Can I take your pen for a short time?

▪ She borrowed a book from the library.

▪ She took a book from the library for a short time.

paraphrasing

▪ loan – to lend something

▪ take – to use something temporarily

▪ rent – to pay to use something temporarily

▪ lease – to use something for a period of time

borrow

Pronunciation

borrow [ˈbɒr.oʊ]

The stress is on 'bor' and sounds like 'bor-oh'.

Common phrases and grammar about borrow

borrow - Common meaning

Verb
to take and use something temporarily

Part of Speech Changes for "borrow"

▪ borrower (noun) – someone who borrows something

▪ borrowed (adjective) – taken temporarily

Common Expressions with "borrow"

▪ borrow money – to take money for a short time

▪ borrow a book – to take a book for a short time

▪ borrow an idea – to use someone’s idea

▪ borrow time – to use extra time

Important examples of borrow in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, borrow is often used to mean taking something temporarily.

▪He borrowed a pen from his friend.
▪He took a pen from his friend for a short time.

Example of a confusing word: lend (to give temporarily)

▪He lent a pen from his friend.
▪He gave a pen to his friend temporarily.
"Borrow" means "to take something temporarily with the intention of returning it," and is used correctly in the sentence "He borrowed a pen from his friend." "Lend," on the other hand, means "to give something temporarily" and is used in the structure "lend + object + to + someone." The sentence "He lent a pen from his friend" is grammatically incorrect because "lend" should be followed by the object being lent and the person receiving it. Thus, "borrow" is the correct choice here.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Borrow is used as a verb that requires an object, often in questions about temporary use.

▪She wants to borrow a book.
▪She wants to take a book for a short time.

borrow

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

borrow money

'take money for a short time', often used in financial contexts.

▪He needs to borrow money for his studies.
▪He needs to take money for a short time for his studies.

borrow trouble

means 'to create unnecessary problems for oneself'.

▪Don’t borrow trouble by worrying too much.
▪Don’t create unnecessary problems by worrying too much.

Differences between similar words and borrow

borrow

,

loan

differences

Borrow means to take something temporarily, while loan means to give something temporarily.

borrow
▪I borrowed a book from the library.
▪I took a book from the library for a short time.
loan
▪The bank loaned him money.
▪The bank gave him money temporarily.
borrow

Words with the same origin as borrow

The origin of borrow

The word's etymology is not clear.

Word structure

The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.

Words with the same origin

The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.

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