spend
spehnd
Spend (verb) means to pay out money in exchange for something. Example: “I try not to spend too much on coffee when I'm out.”
verb
1
To pay out money in exchange for something.
"I try not to spend too much on coffee when I'm out."
"They spent nearly a thousand dollars on new furniture."
"Try not to spend all your paycheck in the first week."
2
To use up time or effort on something.
"We spent the whole afternoon sorting old photographs into albums."
"Students should not spend hours on one question during the exam."
"She spends most weekends hiking in the mountains."
noun
1
The total amount of money spent over a given period.
"Our monthly food spend has gone down since we started planning meals."
"The council reported a higher spend on road repairs than in the previous year."
"The company's marketing spend doubled this quarter."
How to use spend
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pay out money, or to use up time.
Common pairings
spend money
spend time
marketing spend
annual spend
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Word forms
- Plural
- spends
- Third person singular
- spends
- Past tense
- spent
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
I try not to _____ too much on coffee when I'm out.
Etymology
From Old English spendan, borrowed from Latin expendere ("to weigh out"). A doublet of "expend" — both trace back to the same Latin verb.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for spend
See all rhymes for spend →Frequently asked questions
What does “spend” mean?
The word “spend” means to pay out money in exchange for something. In plain terms, to pay out money, or to use up time.
How do you pronounce “spend”?
“Spend” is pronounced spehnd (/spɛnd/ in IPA).
How do you use “spend” in a sentence?
Here is “spend” used in a sentence: “Try not to spend all your paycheck in the first week.”
What part of speech is “spend”?
Depending on how it is used, “spend” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “spend” come from?
The word “spend” comes from Latin. From Old English spendan, borrowed from Latin expendere ("to weigh out"). A doublet of "expend" — both trace back to the same Latin verb.
Is “spend” a common word?
“Spend” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “spend” have?
“Spend” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to pay out money in exchange for something.
What is the difference between spend and pay?
Spend means to use up money on purchases in general: you spend money, or spend on clothes and food. Pay means to give a specific amount to a particular person or for a particular thing: you pay a bill, pay the rent, or pay someone. Spending is the broader activity; paying is the individual transaction.
What is the opposite of spend?
The main opposite is save: to keep money rather than pay it out. Depending on context, earn also contrasts with spend, since earning brings money in while spending sends it out. Other near-opposites include hoard and conserve, both suggesting you hold on to money instead of parting with it.
Does spend only refer to money?
In its core meaning, yes: to spend is to pay out money. But the word stretches naturally to time and energy, as in 'spend an hour' or 'spend all your effort'. In every case the idea is the same: using up a limited resource in exchange for something.
What is an example of spend in a sentence?
'They spend about fifty pounds a week on groceries' shows the core meaning: paying out money for something. You might also say 'I don't want to spend that much on a phone', where spend again points to handing over money in exchange for goods.
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