WordGarden.iomender
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈɛndə/
US
- /mˈɛndər/
Meanings
Noun
a person who repairs or fixes things
Beyond the definition
A mender isn't just someone with a toolbox; they are someone who repairs something that has been torn, worn, or broken. Think of the old woman in a fairy tale, carefully stitching ripped clothes or patching a toy: she's a mender. The word often suggests care, patience, and the simple act of making something usable again, rather than throwing it away.
The context usually tells you what is being repaired: a shoe mender fixes footwear, and a net mender repairs fishing nets. The word has a gentle, almost old-fashioned feel, bringing to mind careful handwork and a world where people fixed things instead of replacing them.
The word "mender" refers to a person who repairs something that is damaged, torn, or broken. It often brings to mind simple, careful work: stitching cloth, patching shoes, fixing nets, or putting worn household items back into usable shape. Historically, menders were common in everyday life, helping people keep clothes, tools, and other belongings in service instead of throwing them away.
While today we often use words like "repairer" or "technician," "mender" sounds more traditional and personal. It suggests a slower, more careful kind of repair, often done by hand. You can easily picture someone bent over a coat, a shoe, or a torn sail, working patiently to make it whole again.
The word can also be used in a figurative way, though this is less common. In that sense, it may describe someone who helps repair a damaged relationship or calm a quarrel. Even then, the core idea stays the same: bringing something back together after it has been harmed.
The word also appears in older or literary contexts, especially for people who mend clothes, shoes, nets, or other everyday things. So whether it is a worn coat, a broken shoe, or, more figuratively, a damaged bond between people, a mender is someone who works to make what is broken usable and whole again.
Examples
- 1
Clothing repair
We took the torn jacket to a mender in the market.
- 2
Textile craft
She is a careful mender of old quilts, matching each piece of cloth by hand.
- 3
Relationships
After the argument, Sam acted as a mender of relationships between the two teams.
- Phrasemender of relationships
someone who helps people become friendly again
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- mendernoun
Forms
- menderspluralnoun