spend

verb \ˈspend\

: to use (money) to pay for something

: to allow (time) to pass in a particular place or while doing a particular activity

: to use (energy or effort) to do something

spent \ˈspent\ spend·ing

Full Definition of SPEND

transitive verb

: to use up or pay out : expend

a : exhaust, wear out <the hurricane gradually spent itself>

b : to consume wastefully : squander <the waters are not ours to spend — J. R. Ellis>

: to cause or permit to elapse : pass <spend the night>

: give up, sacrifice

intransitive verb

: to expend or waste wealth or strength

: to become expended or consumed

: to have an orgasm

— spend·able \ˈspen-də-bəl\ adjective

— spend·er noun

See spend defined for English-language learners

See spend defined for kids

Origin of SPEND

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

Related to SPEND

Synonyms: disburse, drop, expend, fork (over, out, or up), give, lay out, outlay, pay, shell out

Antonyms: renew, replace

Rhymes with SPEND

bend, blend, blende, end, fend, friend, lend, mend, rend, scend, send, shend, tend, trend, vend, wend, Wend

SPEND Defined for Kids

spend

verb \ˈspend\

spent \ˈspent\spend·ing

Definition of SPEND for Kids

: to use (money) to pay for something

: to cause or allow (as time) to pass <… he parked his car … and was spending considerable time walking about town. — Robert McCloskey, Homer Price>

: to use wastefully : squander <She spends a lot of energy worrying.>