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 Salaam, a senior writer in advancement operations and campaign at UC San Diego, also spent a decade writing cover stories for the San Diego Reader and has a master’s degree in fine arts. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Hunter not only spends the necessary time to improve his own work, but also actively encourages his classmates to take their roles seriously as cinematographers, actors, and editors. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Marin orders taquitos, and will spend the rest of lunch generously offering up his meal to everyone at the table. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024 Viju Mathew Shifting gears from his degree in physical geography, Viju Mathew has spent the last decade covering most categories of the luxury market prior to becoming Robb Report's automotive editor. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2024 Everyone who gives blood at a donor center, including the South Bay center in Campbell, will receive 1,000 bonus points to spend in their Donor Loyalty Store on gifts and e-gift cards. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Yelton, 69, was raised Methodist but converted to Islam in his 20s and spent decades working from Muslim-majority countries as an oil field manager. Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 And that has given him little say in how his money is spent, an unusual set-up in pro sports where the majority investor typically has control over board decisions. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella is giving an update on her cancer treatment after spending several days in the hospital. Shania Russell, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near spend

Cite this Entry

“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spend. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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