Synonyms of spending

spending

verb

present participle of spend

1

as in paying

to hand over or use up in payment

I always end up spending too much money at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

• paying
• giving
• expending
• disbursing
• wasting
• laying out
• outlaying
• dropping
• shelling out
• forking (over, out, or up)
• lavishing
• raining
• squandering
• dissipating
• blowing
• running through
• throwing away
• frittering (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saving
• making
• earning
• hoarding
• acquiring
• securing
• realizing
• procuring
• winning
• gaining
• laying up
• caching
• garnering

2

as in consuming

to make complete use of

the town has already spent its budget for snow removal, and it's only January

Synonyms & Similar Words

• consuming
• draining
• exhausting
• reducing
• absorbing
• burning
• eating
• using
• depleting
• expending
• wasting
• devouring
• decreasing
• emptying
• playing out
• drawing down
• running out of
• using up
• lowering
• diminishing
• weakening
• downsizing
• dwindling
• undermining
• bankrupting
• crippling
• impoverishing
• lessening
• sapping
• cleaning (out)
• blowing
• squandering
• debilitating
• misspending
• disabling
• abating
• lavishing
• enfeebling
• guzzling
• drying up
• dissipating
• de-escalating
• throwing away
• running through
• frittering (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• replacing
• renewing
• enforcing
• enlarging
• reinforcing
• strengthening
• augmenting
• repairing
• restoring
• rebuilding
• saving
• preserving
• reviving
• conserving
• bolstering
• fortifying

3

as in wasting

to use up carelessly

spent all his energy on impractical schemes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wasting
• losing
• squandering
• lavishing
• blowing
• misspending
• consuming
• dissipating
• running through
• throwing away
• trifling (away)
• overspending
• frittering (away)
• splurging
• indulging
• fiddling away
• playing ducks and drakes with
• depleting
• exhausting
• expending
• impoverishing
• disbursing
• shooting
• overindulging
• laying out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conserving
• protecting
• saving
• economizing
• preserving
• skimping
• scrimping
• hoarding
• laying up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spending

Or spending a day bouncing in the waves on a Caribbean island or on Florida’s Gulf Coast. — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026

An adjusted cap wouldn’t simply benefit bigger-spending clubs, though. — John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

The National Gallery has been criticized after spending £250,000 on its NG Citizens program. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Last year, small market teams benefited from spending by the richest franchises—nine teams paid $403 million in luxury tax penalties last season. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Nestle has been spending her recent days thinking a lot about… breakfast cereal. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

James spent four seasons in Miami, from 2010-14, after spending the first seven seasons of his NBA career with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 22 July 2026

LeAnn Rimes is spending her road trip from California back home to Nashville naked in a hot tub with her husband, Eddie Cibrian. — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Should couples set spending ground rules before moving in together? — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026