Spend

To use money to buy or pay for goods or services, To pass time in a specific way, To exhaust or use up a resource (time, energy, etc.)

Spend - Meanings

To use money to buy or pay for goods or services

Example: I spent $50 on groceries yesterday.

Usage: informalContext: daily life, shopping

Note: Commonly used in various contexts to indicate the act of paying for items or services.

To pass time in a specific way

Example: We spent the afternoon at the beach.

Usage: informalContext: leisure activities

Note: This meaning is often used to describe how time is used or enjoyed.

To exhaust or use up a resource (time, energy, etc.)

Example: She spent hours working on her presentation.

Usage: formalContext: work, tasks

Note: Can refer to the effort or duration put into completing a task or activity.

Spend's synonyms

expend

To use up or consume resources, especially money, time, or energy.

Example: He expended all his savings on a new car.

Note: Similar to 'spend,' but may imply a more deliberate or calculated use of resources.

utilize

To make practical or effective use of something.

Example: She utilized her skills to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Note: Focuses on making the best use of something rather than just using it.

consume

To use up, devour, or destroy something.

Example: The fire consumed the entire building in a matter of hours.

Note: Often used in the context of using up resources completely or in a destructive manner.

squander

To waste something, especially money or opportunities, in a reckless or foolish manner.

Example: He squandered his inheritance on frivolous purchases.

Note: Implies a careless or irresponsible use of resources.

splurge

To spend money lavishly or extravagantly on something enjoyable.

Example: She decided to splurge on a luxurious vacation for her birthday.

Note: Often used in the context of indulging in a luxury or treat.

Spend expressions, common phrases

spend time

To use time doing something enjoyable or useful.

Example: I love to spend time with my family on weekends.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the utilization of time rather than money.

spend money

To use money to buy things or pay for services.

Example: I tend to spend money on books and travel.

Note: This phrase specifically refers to the act of using money.

spend like there's no tomorrow

To spend money recklessly or extravagantly without concern for the future.

Example: She's been spending like there's no tomorrow since she got her bonus.

Note: This phrase conveys excessive spending behavior without regard for consequences.

spend a penny

To use a public toilet.

Example: In the old days, you had to pay to spend a penny in public restrooms.

Note: This is a euphemistic expression for using a restroom.

spend quality time

To dedicate focused and meaningful time with someone or on an activity.

Example: I try to spend quality time with my kids every evening.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the importance of the time spent being valuable and meaningful.

spend a fortune

To spend a large amount of money, often more than necessary.

Example: She spent a fortune on that designer handbag.

Note: This phrase implies spending a significant sum of money, usually in excess.

spendthrift

A person who spends money in a careless or wasteful manner.

Example: He's known to be a spendthrift, always buying things he doesn't need.

Note: This is a noun describing a person who habitually spends money extravagantly.

Spend everyday (slang) expressions

Blow money

To 'blow money' means to spend a large amount of money quickly or carelessly.

Example: I can't believe he blew all his cash on that expensive watch.

Note: While 'spend' is a general term for using money, 'blow money' emphasizes spending it wastefully.

Drop some cash

To 'drop some cash' means to spend a significant amount of money on something.

Example: I dropped some serious cash on those concert tickets.

Note: This slang term adds emphasis on the act of spending money rather than just stating the action of spending.

Splash out

To 'splash out' means to spend a large amount of money on something luxurious or extravagant.

Example: Let's splash out on a fancy dinner tonight.

Note: This term conveys the idea of spending extravagantly or indulgently rather than simply spending.

Shell out

To 'shell out' means to spend money, often reluctantly or begrudgingly.

Example: I had to shell out quite a bit for those repairs on my car.

Note: 'Shell out' implies a sense of reluctance or displeasure in having to spend money, unlike the neutral tone of 'spend'.

Cough up

To 'cough up' means to reluctantly pay money or to spend money when it's not an ideal situation.

Example: I had to cough up a lot of cash to get my laptop fixed.

Note: This term suggests the idea of reluctantly parting with money, sometimes in situations where one may not want to spend.

Spend - Examples

I spend a lot of money on clothes.

She spends most of her free time reading.

Don't spend all your energy on this project.

Spend grammar

Spend - Verb (Verb) / Verb, base form (Verb, base form)

Lemma: spend

Conjugations

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): spent

Verb, past participle (Verb, past participle): spent

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): spending

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): spends

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): spend

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): spend

Syllables, Separation and Stress

spend Contains 1 syllables: spend

Phonetic transcription: ˈspend

spend , ˈspend (The red syllable is stressed)

Spend - Importance and usage frequency

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

spend: 400 - 500 (Extremely common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

Back

Search area