spend
spend
Pronunciation
spend: /spɛnd/
spend:
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɛ/ - open-mid front unrounded vowel
/n/ - alveolar nasal
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Base Form: spend
Past Simple: spent
Past Participle: spent
Present Participle/Gerund: spending
Third-Person Singular Present: spends
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
To use money to pay for goods, services, or to settle debts.
Synonyms: expend, disburse, pay, outlay
Antonyms: save, hoard, keep, conserve
To pass time in a particular way or place; to devote time or energy to an activity.
Synonyms: occupy, utilize, devote, dedicate
Antonyms: waste, idle, squander, fritter
To use or consume a resource, such as energy, effort, or a commodity, until it is depleted or exhausted.
Synonyms: consume, deplete, exhaust, use up
Antonyms: preserve, replenish, conserve, restore
Noun
An amount of money that is spent; an expenditure.
Synonyms: expenditure, outlay, disbursement, cost
Antonyms: savings, income, revenue, profit
The act or process of spending money or time.
Synonyms: consumption, utilization, deployment, allocation
Antonyms: retention, accumulation, preservation
Examples of Use
Books:
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor." The protagonist often reflects on how he spends his limited resources, both financial and emotional, in a world of scarcity. (Seneca, Letters from a Stoic, c. 65 AD)
A recent biography describes how the artist preferred to spend his evenings in quiet contemplation rather than attending boisterous social gatherings. (Art history book)
Newspapers:
"Local Government Urged to Spend More on Infrastructure" (Headline in The Daily Herald)
An article analyzing consumer trends noted, "Households continue to spend cautiously on non-essential items amidst economic uncertainties." (Financial Times)
Online Publications:
"How to Spend Your First Month as a New Developer" (Article on dev.to)
A travel blog post titled, "The Best Ways to Spend a Weekend in Kyoto," offering itinerary suggestions. (Nomadic Matt)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie Oppenheimer, there are scenes depicting the immense resources and time scientists had to spend on the Manhattan Project.
Television: A character in the TV series Succession remarks, "We need to spend big on this acquisition if we want to stay competitive." (Episode aired October 2021)
Music: The lyrics of a popular song lament, "I'd rather spend my days chasing dreams than chasing fame." (Pop song)
Video Games: A common in-game prompt in role-playing games is "Do you wish to spend skill points on this ability?" (Elden Ring)
Podcasts: On a recent episode of "The Daily," a guest economist discussed how government policies influence how citizens spend their disposable income. (The Daily, The New York Times)
General Public Discourse:
During a casual conversation, one friend might say to another, "I'm going to spend the whole afternoon cleaning my apartment." (Heard in conversation)
A parent might advise their child, "Don't spend all your allowance on candy; save some for something important." (Common parental advice, ongoing)
At a community meeting, a resident might state, "We need to spend more time addressing local environmental issues." (Public forum)
10 Quotes Using Spend
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. So, if you want to make a man happy, add not to his possessions but take away from the measure of his wants." (Seneca, Letters from a Stoic)
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." (Mahatma Gandhi)
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." (Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, interpreting Aristotle)
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." (Mae West)
"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." (Charles Darwin, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin)
"Time is money." (Benjamin Franklin, Advice to a Young Tradesman)
"Don't spend your time on things you can't change." (Unknown)
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden)
"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." (Dalai Lama XIV)
"The unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates, as quoted in Plato's Apology)
Etymology
The word "spend" has a pretty old and interesting history! It comes from the Old English word "-spendan" (often found in words like "forspendan," meaning "to use up completely").
This Old English word, in turn, has roots in Medieval Latin "spendere," which was a shortened version of the Latin word "expendere." "Expendere" literally meant "to weigh out money" or "to pay down." Imagine a time when people didn't just hand over coins, but might actually weigh out precious metals to make a payment!
So, the very first meaning of "spend" was directly tied to paying out or disbursing money or wealth. This goes back to the 13th century in English. Over time, the meaning broadened to include using up other valuable things, like time, effort, or even a storm's fury.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Spend
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "spend":
Spend money like water: To spend a lot of money carelessly and extravagantly.
Spend a penny: A polite, often euphemistic, way to say one needs to use the toilet.
Spend a fortune: To spend a very large amount of money.
Spend oneself: To exhaust one's energy or resources.
Spend quality time: To devote focused and meaningful time to someone or something.
Spend a dime: To spend any money at all (often used in negative contexts, e.g., "didn't spend a dime").
Spend time on your hands: To have a lot of free time.
Spend a packet: Similar to "spend a fortune," meaning to spend a lot of money.
Spend time with a fine-tooth comb: To examine something very closely and thoroughly (using a synonym for "spend").
Spend your last breath: To use all your remaining energy, often in a final effort or statement.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of spend from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
