spend
A1 (very high frequency)Neutral (used across all registers from informal to formal)
Definition
Meaning
to use money to pay for goods or services
to use or pass time; to use energy or effort
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can refer to both money and non-material resources (time, effort). Implies depletion or consumption of a finite resource.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning. British English may show slightly stronger preference for 'spend' with 'on' (spend money on something) whereas American English also commonly uses 'for' in casual contexts, though 'on' remains standard.
Connotations
Generally neutral, though can carry negative connotations when implying wastefulness (e.g., 'spending like there's no tomorrow').
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[sb] spends [money/time] [on sth/doing sth][sb] spends [money/time] [in/at place][sth] spends [time period] [in state/place]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “spend a penny”
- “spend the night”
- “spend like water”
- “spend time in the sun”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to budgeting, capital expenditure, and resource allocation.
Academic
Used in economics, sociology (time-use studies), and management.
Everyday
Most common for discussing shopping, leisure activities, and daily routines.
Technical
In computing, can refer to CPU cycles or processing time.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They plan to spend the holidays in Cornwall.
- The council spends a significant portion of its budget on road maintenance.
- Don't spend all your energy on the first task.
American English
- We're going to spend the weekend at the lake house.
- The company spends millions on research each year.
- He spent his entire political capital on that one bill.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb. 'Spendingly' is obsolete.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The spend profile for the department is under review. (Business/Finance)
- A high-spend customer.
- The report analysed spend patterns.
American English
- The marketing team tracks our spend rate closely.
- A low-spend quarter for the industry.
- She is a significant spend client for the firm.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I spend £5 on lunch every day.
- She spends two hours watching TV.
- How much did you spend?
- We spent the whole afternoon discussing the plan.
- The government spends more on health than on defence.
- He spends too much time on his phone.
- Having spent all her savings on the trip, she had to find a job quickly.
- The project spent months in the planning phase before getting approval.
- They spent considerable effort making the event accessible.
- The artist spent years honing his technique, resulting in the masterpiece before us.
- Critics argue that the nation has spent its diplomatic goodwill on short-term gains.
- The algorithm is computationally expensive, spending most of its cycles on data validation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SPEND = Silver Pennies END. Imagine your silver pennies coming to an end when you spend them.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MONEY (We spend time, invest time, waste time, budget time).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'spend' for the act of 'tratit'' when it means 'to waste/lose unintentionally'. 'Spend' implies intentional use. Don't confuse with 'расходовать' in all technical/impersonal contexts; 'spend' is typically for personal/subject-initiated actions.
Common Mistakes
- *I spent to buy a car. (Correct: I spent money on a car / I bought a car.)
- *We spent for dinner. (Correct: We spent money on dinner / We paid for dinner.)
- Confusing 'spend' with 'cost'. (The book costs £10, NOT *The book spends £10.)
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'spend' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Spend' is more common and general, used for money, time, and effort. 'Expend' is more formal and often used for resources, energy, or effort in a technical or measured context.
Yes, especially in business and finance (e.g., 'marketing spend', 'total spend'). It refers to the amount of money spent.
For money/resources: 'on' (spend money on food). For time/effort: 'on' (spend time on a project) or '-ing' (spend time reading). For location: 'in' or 'at' (spend the day in London/at home).
Yes, this is a very common and correct collocation meaning to be in someone's company for a period of time.
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Routine
A1 · 50 words · Words for describing your everyday activities and schedule.
Shopping
A2 · 50 words · Vocabulary for buying and selling goods.