add and lend share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. add means “make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of”. lend means “bestow a quality on”. add is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈæd/
1.v.make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
“We added two students to that dorm room”
2.v.state or say further
“`It doesn't matter,' he supplied”
3.v.bestow a quality on
“Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company”
/ˈlɛnd/
1.v.bestow a quality on
“Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company”
2.v.give temporarily; let have for a limited time
“I will lend you my car”
3.v.have certain characteristics of qualities for something; be open or vulnerable to
“This story would lend itself well to serialization on television”
| add | lend | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈæd/ | /ˈlɛnd/ |
| Said | ad | lend |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 3 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb |
| Senses | 7 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | impart, bestow, contribute |