Mend

Mend is a verb meaning to repair or restore something that is damaged. It can also mean to improve a situation or to heal someone physically or emotionally. As a noun, mend refers to a repair or an improvement.

Common uses include repairing clothing by stitching, darning, or patching; fixing household items; and restoring infrastructure or machinery. A mend may be as simple as sewing a torn seam or as involved as replacing a broken component. Mending can also refer to repairing damage in non-physical contexts, such as repairing a malfunctioning process or system.

Figurative uses include mending relationships, repairing friendships or communities, and mending differences through communication. The phrase on the mend means recovering from illness or injury. To mend one’s ways means to reform or improve one’s behavior. These usages highlight repair, restoration, and renewal as core aspects of the concept.

Process and methods vary by object and material. Mending clothes typically involves needle and thread, patches, and sometimes darning; mending household items may involve glue, tape, or simple replacements; repairing machinery or structural elements may require specialized tools and parts. Regardless of method, the goal is to restore function and extend usefulness.

Origin and scope: the word mend is of Germanic origin, dating to Old or Middle English; it is related to similar words in other Germanic languages. In modern usage, mend emphasizes repair, improvement, and restoration across physical and figurative contexts.