spend

verb

ˈspend 

spent ˈspent  ; spending

transitive verb

1

: to use up or pay out : expend

2

a

: exhaust, wear out

the hurricane gradually spent itself

b

: to consume wastefully : squander

… the waters are not ours to spend.

—J. R. Ellis

3

: to cause or permit to elapse : pass

spend the night

4

: give up, sacrifice

intransitive verb

1

: to expend or waste wealth or strength

2

: to become expended or consumed

3

: to have an orgasm

spendable

ˈspen-də-bəl 

adjective

spender noun

Synonyms of spend

• pay
• give

Examples of spend in a Sentence

I spent $30 on his birthday gift.

They spend a lot on clothes and cars.

I want to buy a new car, but I don't have much money to spend.

Her willingness to spend freely made her popular among her friends.

He spends lavishly on vacations.

I spent my summer at the beach.

She spent eight months living in New York City.

Relaxing with friends is a great way to spend a weekend.

Our cat spends most of his time sleeping.

Too much of my time is spent arguing with customers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Qatar was not ready for the world’s most prominent sporting stage four years ago, having only qualified for the World Cup thanks to its status as the host nation, after spending the previous 70 years as an afterthought – or even a non-entity – in the soccer world. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026

Two years ago, another man, Iwao Hakamata, was acquitted after spending more than 46 years on death row for a murder his lawyer said he was forced to admit. —Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

The 52-year-old Utah resident spent a full day traveling between thrift stores, used bookstores and independent bookshops, filling her car with enough reading material to carry her through the year. —Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026

Reviewing accounts payable flow helps uncover bottlenecks, reduce delays, improve spend control and strengthen cash visibility so organizations can operate more proactively and efficiently. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English -spendan, from Medieval Latin expendere to disburse, use up, from Latin, to measure by weight, pay out — more at expend

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing spend

• spend/stay the night
• spend the night
• spend the night together
• spend the night with (someone)

Rhymes for spend

• blend
• blende
• denned
• end
• fend
• friend
• lend
• mend
• penned
• send
• tend
• trend

Kids Definition

spend

verb

ˈspend 

spent ˈspent  ; spending

1

: to pay out : expend

2

: to cause or allow (as time) to pass

spent the day with friends

3

a

: exhaust entry 1 sense 1, wear out

b

: to use wastefully : squander

spender noun