expire
gb/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/ us/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/
B1
Anglais
~ 5000
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B1
event
1
Stop being valid or in effect
To stop being good, legal, or able to be used after a certain time.
Schéma d’usage :
[document, contract, license] expires
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'expire' with 'terminate'; 'terminate' can be active (someone ends it), while 'expire' is usually passive and time-based.
Synonymes
lapse (Often used for rights or contracts ending without renewal)
Antonymes
renew (To make valid again for a new period)
Collocations
passport expires
|contract expires
|license expires
|membership expires
|offer expires
Thèmes
law
|business
|daily life
|time
Exemples
- My driver's license will expire next month.
- The special discount expires at midnight.
- Her visa expired while she was abroad.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My passport will expire next year.
- The ticket will expire tomorrow.
- This card will expire soon.
Verbe
C1
event
2
To die (formal/literary)
To die (formal word).
Schéma d’usage :
[person] expires
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may think this meaning is common in everyday English, but it is mostly used in formal, medical, or literary contexts.
Synonymes
pass away (More common euphemism in everyday speech)
Antonymes
be born (Opposite in the life cycle)
Collocations
expire peacefully
|expire suddenly
Thèmes
life
|death
|health
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The patient expired before the ambulance arrived.
- He expired quietly in his sleep.
- Several soldiers expired during the battle.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The old man expired in the hospital.
- She expired after a long illness.
- He expired on the way to the hospital.
Verbe
C2
action
3
Breathe out air from lungs
To breathe air out of your body.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] expires [air]
Erreur fréquente :
This meaning is rare outside scientific, medical, or poetic contexts; learners may confuse it with 'expire' meaning 'to die'.
Synonymes
exhale (Neutral, everyday term for breathing out)
Antonymes
inhale (To breathe air into the lungs)
Collocations
expire slowly
|expire deeply
Thèmes
biology
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She closed her eyes and expired softly.
- The diver expired a stream of bubbles.
- He expired deeply, trying to calm himself.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She expired after running fast.
- He expired slowly and relaxed.
- The man expired and smiled.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
expire
API
GB/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/
US/ɪkspˈaɪɚ/
Syllabes et accentuation
ex - pire (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pire)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: expire
- 3rd Person Singular: expires
- Present Participle: expiring
- Past: expired
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- My subscription will expire soon, so I need to renew it.
- This coupon will expire soon—use it today.