WordGarden.iospend
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /spˈɛnd/
US
- /ˈspɛnd/
Meanings
Verb
to use money to pay for something
to use or pass time in a particular way
to use up effort, energy, or another limited resource
Noun
the amount of money spent, especially in business or advertising
Beyond the definition
To spend means to use time, money, or energy for something. You can spend money on groceries, spend an afternoon reading, or spend too much energy worrying about a problem. The idea is that you are using something that matters to you.
We often use this word for money and time. You might spend your holiday with family, spend ten dollars on lunch, or spend years learning a new skill. The phrase "well spent" means the time or money was used in a good way: "That was an afternoon well spent."
The word "spend" is used when someone uses money, time, energy, or effort for a purpose. If you spend money on a coat, that money is gone because you used it to buy something. If you spend three hours studying, those hours were used for that activity. In both cases, the word shows how something valuable is being used.
This word is very common with money and time. You can spend fifty dollars on dinner, spend the weekend at home, spend the evening talking with friends, or spend years building a business. It is also natural with energy and effort: someone can spend too much energy on anger, or spend a lot of effort trying to fix a mistake.
Sometimes the word helps show whether the use was good or bad. "Money well spent" means the purchase was worth it. "He spends too much time complaining" shows that the time is probably being wasted. In this way, "spend" often carries an idea of choice, value, and result.
In everyday English, "spend" is one of the main words we use to talk about how life, time, and money are used. It can describe simple daily actions, like spending cash at a store, and bigger parts of life, like spending your childhood in one town or spending years on a dream.
Examples
- 1
Shopping
I spent fifty dollars on groceries.
- 2
Leisure time
We spent the afternoon at the beach.
- 3
Family time
She spends a lot of time with her grandmother.
- 4
Searching
I spent two hours looking for my keys.
- Patternspend time doing X
use time doing it
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Email task
Don't spend too long on that email.
- Patternspend time on + task
use time for that task
- 6
Budget allocation
Most of the budget was spent on rent.
- 7
Weekend routine
How do you usually spend your weekends?
- 8
Overnight stay
We spent the night at an airport hotel.
- 9
Eating out
He spends too much money eating out.
- Patternspend money doing X
use money on that activity
- 10
Life plans
I don't want to spend the rest of my life commuting.
- 11
Research budget
The company spends millions on research every year.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- spendverb
Forms
- spentpast tensepast participleverb
- spending-ing formverb
- spendsverb