spend
gb/spˈɛnd/ us/spˈɛnd/
A1
English
~ 500
költ, tölt, fordít, erőfeszítést tesz, felemészt, felhasznál, felél, elhasznál, fogyaszt, kimerít
VERB
A1
1
költ
A2
Usage pattern:
to spend [amount] on [something]
I spent $50 on a new jacket.
50 dollárt költöttem egy új dzsekire.
They spent all their savings on the wedding.
Az összes megtakarításukat az esküvőre költötték.
We spent a lot on home repairs last year.
He spends too much money on gadgets.
She spent her allowance on books.
Learner examples
I spend $10 on lunch.
10 dollárt költök ebédre.
She spends money on clothes.
Pénzt költ ruhákra.
We spend a lot on food.
He spends $5 every day.
They spend money on the house.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'spend' with 'pay'; 'pay' focuses on giving money, while 'spend' focuses on using money over time or for something specific.
Meaning
Use money to purchase
Collocations
spend money
|spend cash
|spend a fortune
|spend wisely
|spend on groceries
Synonyms
expend (More formal; often used in official or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
save (Means to keep money instead of using it.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|shopping
|daily_life
|finance
Definition
To give money to buy something.
To pay money in exchange for goods or services.
VERB
A1
2
tölt
A2
Usage pattern:
to spend [time] [doing something]
We spent the afternoon at the park.
A délutánt a parkban töltöttük.
He spends most of his free time reading.
Szabadideje nagy részét olvasással tölti.
They spent three weeks in Italy.
I spent my morning answering emails.
She spent her childhood in the countryside.
Learner examples
I spend two hours on homework.
Két órát töltök a házi feladatommal.
She spends the weekend with her family.
A hétvégét a családjával tölti.
We spend the day at the beach.
He spends time reading books.
They spend the summer in Spain.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to use the '-ing' form after 'spend' when talking about activities, e.g., 'spend time play' instead of 'spend time playing'.
Meaning
Use time for activity
Collocations
spend time
|spend hours
|spend the day
|spend weekends
|spend time together
Synonyms
devote (Implies giving time with focus or dedication.)
Antonyms
waste (Means to use time in a way that is not productive or enjoyable.)
Themes
daily life
|time management
|time
|daily_life
Definition
To use time to do something or be somewhere.
To use a period of time doing a particular activity or being in a particular place.
VERB
B1
3
fordít
B1
Usage pattern:
to spend [effort/energy/resources] on [something]
She spent all her energy cleaning the house.
Minden energiáját a ház kitakarítására fordította.
We spent considerable effort preparing for the event.
Jelentős erőfeszítést tettünk az esemény előkészítése érdekében.
He spends too much effort trying to please everyone.
They spent their strength climbing the mountain.
Learner examples
I spend energy cleaning my room.
Energiát fordítok a szobám kitakarítására.
She spends effort learning English.
Erőfeszítést tesz azért, hogy megtanuljon angolul.
We spend time and energy cooking dinner.
He spends his energy running every day.
Meaning
Use energy or effort
Collocations
spend effort
|spend energy
|spend resources
Synonyms
exert (Focuses more specifically on physical or mental effort.)
Antonyms
conserve (Means to keep and not use energy or resources.)
Themes
work
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To use your energy or effort to do something.
To use or give effort, energy, or resources for a particular purpose.
VERB
B2
4
They spent all their savings in one month.
Egy hónap alatt felélték az összes megtakarításukat.
He spent all his energy before reaching the finish line.
Már a célvonal elérése előtt elhasználta minden energiáját.
We spent our budget before the project was complete.
Learner examples
I spent all my money yesterday.
Tegnap elköltöttem az összes pénzemet.
She spent all her energy at the gym.
Az edzőteremben minden energiáját elhasználta.
They spent all their food during the trip.
Meaning
Use up supply completely
Collocations
spend all savings
|spend all energy
Synonyms
consume (Emphasizes complete use of a resource.)
Antonyms
preserve (Means to keep something instead of using it up.)
Themes
daily life
|business
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To use something until there is none left.
To cause something to be completely used up, especially money, energy, or resources.
Grammar
Dictionary form
spend
IPA
GB/spˈɛnd/
US/spˈɛnd/
Syllables & stress
spend (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (spend)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: spend
- 3rd Person Singular: spends
- Present Participle: spending
- Past: spent
- Past Participle: spent
Word family
Forms
spends
verb
spending
verb
spent
verb
Core family
spender
noun
Related words
overspend
verb
Negative and opposite forms
save
verb A2
unspent
adjective
Advanced or less common
expenditure
noun B2
Highlights
- Irregular past: spent Verb
- Irregular past participle: spent Verb
Expressions
spend a fortune
1/spˈɛnd ə fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
Use very large amount of money
To pay a lot of money for something.
Examples
- They spent a fortune on their wedding.
- He spent a fortune decorating his house.
spend quality time
1/spˈɛnd kwˈɑləti tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
Use meaningful time with someone important
To spend good and valuable time with someone you care about.
Examples
- Parents should spend quality time with their children.
- We spent quality time together during the holidays.
spend the night
1/spˈɛnd ðə nˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
Stay somewhere overnight
To stay somewhere for one night.
Examples
- We spent the night at a small hotel by the lake.
- They spent the night at their friend's house.
spend time with
1/spˈɛnd tˈaɪm wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
Use time together with someone
To be with someone for a period of time.
Examples
- I love spending time with my grandparents.
- She spends a lot of time with her best friend.