expire
gb/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/ us/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/
B1
English
~ 5000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
event
1
Stop being valid or in effect
To stop being good, legal, or able to be used after a certain time.
Usage pattern:
[document, contract, license] expires
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'expire' with 'terminate'; 'terminate' can be active (someone ends it), while 'expire' is usually passive and time-based.
Synonyms
lapse (Often used for rights or contracts ending without renewal)
Antonyms
renew (To make valid again for a new period)
Collocations
passport expires
|contract expires
|license expires
|membership expires
|offer expires
Themes
law
|business
|daily life
|time
Examples
- My driver's license will expire next month.
- The special discount expires at midnight.
- Her visa expired while she was abroad.
Learner examples
- My passport will expire next year.
- The ticket will expire tomorrow.
- This card will expire soon.
Verb
C1
event
2
To die (formal/literary)
To die (formal word).
Usage pattern:
[person] expires
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is common in everyday English, but it is mostly used in formal, medical, or literary contexts.
Synonyms
pass away (More common euphemism in everyday speech)
Antonyms
be born (Opposite in the life cycle)
Collocations
expire peacefully
|expire suddenly
Themes
life
|death
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The patient expired before the ambulance arrived.
- He expired quietly in his sleep.
- Several soldiers expired during the battle.
Learner examples
- The old man expired in the hospital.
- She expired after a long illness.
- He expired on the way to the hospital.
Verb
C2
action
3
Breathe out air from lungs
To breathe air out of your body.
Usage pattern:
[someone] expires [air]
Common mistake:
This meaning is rare outside scientific, medical, or poetic contexts; learners may confuse it with 'expire' meaning 'to die'.
Synonyms
exhale (Neutral, everyday term for breathing out)
Antonyms
inhale (To breathe air into the lungs)
Collocations
expire slowly
|expire deeply
Themes
biology
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She closed her eyes and expired softly.
- The diver expired a stream of bubbles.
- He expired deeply, trying to calm himself.
Learner examples
- She expired after running fast.
- He expired slowly and relaxed.
- The man expired and smiled.
Grammar
Dictionary form
expire
IPA
GB/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/
US/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/
Syllables & stress
ex - pire (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pire)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: expire
- 3rd Person Singular: expires
- Present Participle: expiring
- Past: expired
Word family
Forms
expires
verb
expiring
verb
expired
verb
Core family
expiration
noun B1
expiry
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unexpired
adjective
Advanced or less common
expiratory
adjective
Expressions
expire date
1/ɪkspˈaɪɚ dˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
Final day of validity or use
The last day you can use something before it is no good or not allowed.
Examples
- Check the expire date on the milk carton before you drink it.
- The medicine's expire date is printed on the box.
expire soon
1/ɪkspˈaɪɚ sˈun/
fixed phrase
Stop being valid soon
To stop being good or legal in a short time from now.
Examples
- My subscription will expire soon, so I need to renew it.
- This coupon will expire soon—use it today.