spend
gb/spˈɛnd/ us/spˈɛnd/
A1
English
~ 500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Use money to purchase
To give money to buy something.
Usage pattern:
to spend [amount] on [something]
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.
Synonyms
expend (More formal; often used in official or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
save (Means to keep money instead of using it.)
Collocations
spend money
|spend cash
|spend a fortune
|spend wisely
|spend on groceries
Themes
business
|daily life
|shopping
|daily_life
|finance
Examples
- I spent $50 on a new jacket.
- They spent all their savings on the wedding.
- 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.
- She spends money on clothes.
- We spend a lot on food.
- He spends $5 every day.
- They spend money on the house.
Verb
A1
action
2
Use time for activity
To use time to do something or be somewhere.
Usage pattern:
to spend [time] [doing something]
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'.
Synonyms
devote (Implies giving time with focus or dedication.)
Antonyms
waste (Means to use time in a way that is not productive or enjoyable.)
Collocations
spend time
|spend hours
|spend the day
|spend weekends
|spend time together
Themes
daily life
|time management
|time
|daily_life
Examples
- We spent the afternoon at the park.
- He spends most of his free time reading.
- 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.
- She spends the weekend with her family.
- We spend the day at the beach.
- He spends time reading books.
- They spend the summer in Spain.
Verb
B1
action
3
Use energy or effort
To use your energy or effort to do something.
Usage pattern:
to spend [effort/energy/resources] on [something]
Synonyms
exert (Focuses more specifically on physical or mental effort.)
Antonyms
conserve (Means to keep and not use energy or resources.)
Collocations
spend effort
|spend energy
|spend resources
Themes
work
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She spent all her energy cleaning the house.
- We spent considerable effort preparing for the event.
- He spends too much effort trying to please everyone.
- They spent their strength climbing the mountain.
Learner examples
- I spend energy cleaning my room.
- She spends effort learning English.
- We spend time and energy cooking dinner.
- He spends his energy running every day.
Verb
B2
action
4
Use up supply completely
To use something until there is none left.
Synonyms
consume (Emphasizes complete use of a resource.)
Antonyms
preserve (Means to keep something instead of using it up.)
Collocations
spend all savings
|spend all energy
Themes
daily life
|business
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They spent all their savings in one month.
- He spent all his energy before reaching the finish line.
- We spent our budget before the project was complete.
Learner examples
- I spent all my money yesterday.
- She spent all her energy at the gym.
- They spent all their food during the trip.
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.