On the Mend vs. On the Mends – Which is Correct?
“On the mend” is the correct English expression. It means recovering or gradually improving after an illness, injury, difficulty, or setback. “On the mends” is a common but incorrect variation, probably caused by treating “mend” as a plural noun. Use “on the mend” in both casual and formal writing contexts.
On the Mend or On the Mends – Which is Correct?
On the mend is the correct idiom. It means that someone or something is recovering, repairing, or returning to a better condition. You can use it for a person recovering from illness, an injured athlete, a damaged object, or a difficult situation that is improving.
On the mends is incorrect in standard English. The word mend functions as part of a fixed phrase here and is not normally made plural. Although “on the mends” may sound natural because “mends” resembles a plural noun, it is not the established expression.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Think of on the mend as meaning “on the way to being mended.” The word mend describes the process of repair or recovery, so it stays singular. If someone is recovering, they are on the mend, never normally “on the mends.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| on the mend | Fixed idiomatic phrase | Recovering or improving | After a few days of rest, Maya is on the mend. |
| on the mends | Incorrect variation | Not the standard form of the idiom | Use “on the mend,” not “on the mends.” |
How to Use On the Mend
On the mend is an idiom that describes gradual recovery or improvement. It is commonly used after illness, surgery, injury, emotional distress, financial trouble, or another setback. The phrase can describe people, organizations, relationships, situations, and sometimes objects.
The expression is generally conversational and warm, but it is also acceptable in many professional contexts, including emails, news reports, and workplace updates. For highly formal writing, alternatives such as recovering, improving, or undergoing repair may be more precise.
Example 1: The patient is on the mend after a successful operation.
Example 2: Our sales figures are finally on the mend after a challenging quarter.
Example 3: The old bicycle is on the mend now that we have replaced the damaged chain.
Etymology of the phrase on the mend
Mend comes from the verb meaning “to repair” or “to restore,” which developed from Anglo-French and Old French forms related to correction and improvement. The phrase on the mend came to describe a person or situation that was in the process of being repaired or restored. It has been established in English for centuries.
The distinction between repairing and correcting language is also clarified in Amend vs. Emend.
Related Concepts
Understanding idioms and fixed expressions helps explain why on the mend cannot be changed into the nonstandard form on the mends.
- Idioms: An idiom is an expression whose overall meaning may not be fully predictable from its individual words. In on the mend, the phrase means “recovering” rather than simply being physically positioned on a repair.
- Fixed phrases: A fixed phrase normally keeps its conventional wording and grammatical structure. Changing mend to mends produces a form that is not standard in this idiom.
- Figurative language: The phrase can describe nonphysical improvement, such as a recovering economy, repaired relationship, or improving reputation.
Examples from Media and Literature
The correct phrase appears in many kinds of everyday communication, including health reporting, sports coverage, fiction, and personal updates.
- Health reporting: A news story may describe a public figure as “on the mend” after an operation or illness.
- Sports coverage: A reporter may write that an injured player is on the mend and expected to return to competition.
- Fiction: A character recovering at home after an accident may tell another character, “I’m on the mend.”
- Workplace communication: A manager might say that a struggling project is on the mend after the team changes its strategy.
- Personal conversation: Someone who has recently had the flu may reassure a friend by saying, “I’m feeling much better and am finally on the mend.”
On the Mend Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Recovering | Returning to health or normal condition after illness or injury. |
| Improving | Becoming better in condition, quality, or performance. |
| Getting better | Becoming healthier or more satisfactory; a common conversational alternative. |
| Healing | Recovering from a physical or emotional wound. |
| Bouncing back | Recovering quickly from a difficulty or setback. |
| Recovering steadily | Improving gradually and consistently. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is it “on the mend” or “on the mends”?
The correct expression is on the mend. “On the mends” is a common but incorrect variation.
Question 2: What does “on the mend” mean?
It means recovering or improving after an illness, injury, problem, or setback. It can refer to people, objects, relationships, businesses, and other situations.
Question 3: Is “on the mend” formal or informal?
“On the mend” is an everyday idiom with a friendly, conversational tone. It is suitable for casual speech and many professional contexts, although recovering or improving may sound more formal.
Question 4: Can “on the mend” describe something other than a person?
Yes. You can say that a damaged vehicle, struggling business, difficult relationship, or weak economy is on the mend when it is gradually improving or being repaired.
Conclusion
On the mend is the only standard expression of the two choices. It means recovering, repairing, or gradually improving, while on the mends is a nonstandard form caused by treating mend as a plural noun. Pro Tip: Use the established form on the mend in professional writing to maintain accuracy and credibility.
