spend

verb

spent ˈspent How to pronounce spend (audio) ; 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 spendJ. R. Ellis
3
: to cause or permit to elapse : pass
spend the night
4

intransitive verb

1
: to expend or waste wealth or strength
2
: to become expended or consumed
3
: to have an orgasm
spendable adjective
spender noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chopra is well known for spending much of his career developing, teaching, writing about and disseminating such practices. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Taken together, this signals that tech and media behemoths are still betting that consumers will be willing to spend hundreds, if not thousands, to experience concerts, movies and sporting events beyond the confines of a traditional screen. Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 12 July 2025 Until 2023, Horgan spent 14 years defending insurance companies for the firms Banker, Lopez, Gassler and Pennington P.A. Horgan approved levying court fees and costs against policyholders in nine cases, including five that dropped their claims before their hearings commenced. Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025 Her illness has left her with irreparable dental damage—forcing her to spend thousands of dollars to restore her smile, a painful and permanent reminder of her eating disorder. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for spend

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of spend was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spend. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

spend

verb
spent ˈspent How to pronounce spend (audio) ; spending
1
: to pay out : expend
2
: to cause or allow (as time) to pass
spent the day with friends
3
b
: to use wastefully : squander
spender noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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