spend

verb

ˈspend How to pronounce spend (audio)
spent ˈspent How to pronounce spend (audio) ; spending
Synonyms of spendnext

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 How to pronounce spend (audio)
adjective
spender noun

Synonyms of spend

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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.
Trout has spent his entire 16-year career with the Angels, a period that has coincided with one of the worst stretches in franchise history. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 For a company like Anthropic, that’s created a scenario allowing people to spend $200 for a month of Claude premium but use thousands of dollars worth of compute. — Jack Holmes, Vanity Fair, 1 Sep. 2026 The looming vote on the crypto market structure bill known as the Clarity Act is shaping up as a critical test for an industry that's spent years pushing Washington for clearer rules around digital assets. — Tanaya MacHeel,talia Kaplan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Since their high-profile wedding and brief honeymoon, the newlyweds haven’t spent much time together. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026 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

Phrases Containing spend

Rhymes for spend

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Browse Nearby Words

Spencer roll
spend
spendable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spend. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

spend

verb
ˈspend How to pronounce spend (audio)
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
a
: exhaust entry 1 sense 1, wear out
b
: to use wastefully : squander
spender noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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