expired

adjective

ex·​pired ik-ˈspī(-ə)rd 

ek-

1

formal : dead, deceased

—often used as a euphemistic or humorous alternative to dead

A shovel, bucket, trash bags, and gloves are also useful items for cleaning up expired wildlife.

—Jeffrey Price and Jeffrey Forrest

… I've exercised my maternal instincts on him, doing a far better job of keeping him alive than all those expired plants now in the great compost pile in the sky.

—Kerry Quinn

There, firmly lodged within the pipe and obstructing the flow of water, was a catfish. The expired creature was removed, brought on board, and mounted in the main passenger cabin for all to see.

—John Laurence Busch

2

: no longer valid : having exceeded its period of validity

expired licenses

an expired contract

… Mr. Adams uses homemade software to download online books with expired copyrights …

—Michael M. Phillips

3

: having passed its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)

expired milk

expired drugs

… networks that now take us into the homes of people who treasure their expired tuna cans more than they do their children …

—Carina Chocano

4

: emitted as or in a person's breath : breathed out

… the person exhales into a container at regular intervals and technicians measure the amount of hydrogen in the expired air.

—Colleen Sauber

Synonyms of expired

• defunct
• extinct
• vanished
• gone

Examples of expired in a Sentence

a wildlife organization dedicated to ensuring that the giant panda not be added to the list of expired species

Recent Examples on the Web

Officer Dylan Auch was arrested by local police in Locust on April 8 and also charged with driving with an expired tag and registration, the news release said. —Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026

Local 99 on hold for even longer Members of Local 99 of Service Employees International Union have been working under terms of an expired contract since June 30, 2024. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026

According to the dermatologist, using expired sunscreen can leave your skin vulnerable to sun damage and increase your risk of irritation or infection if the bottle has been contaminated. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Mar. 2026

Authorities also say Gonzalez had an expired fishing license. —CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for expired

• reacquired
• aspired
• attired
• retired
• mired
• spired