spends: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
High frequency (C1 in CEFR).Neutral; appropriate in formal, informal, spoken, and written contexts.
Quick answer
What does “spends” mean?
Third person singular present tense of the verb 'spend.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Third person singular present tense of the verb 'spend.' To use money or other resources (such as time or energy) to pay for goods, services, or activities.
Can imply the consumption or depletion of a resource, not just monetary. Also used figuratively to describe the passage of time in a particular way (e.g., 'he spends his days gardening').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant grammatical or semantic differences. Minor lexical preferences in collocations (e.g., 'spends a fortune' vs. 'spends a ton' may vary slightly in frequency). Spelling differences only in related nouns ('spends' is verb form only).
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “spends” in a Sentence
NP spends NP (on NP)NP spends NP (V-ing)NP spends NP (with NP)NP spends NP (at/in NP)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “spends” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She spends her holidays in Cornwall.
- The council spends a significant amount on road repairs.
- He spends far too much time on his mobile.
American English
- He spends his vacation in Florida.
- The company spends a ton on marketing.
- She spends way too much energy worrying.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in financial reporting, budgeting, and project management (e.g., 'The department spends its annual budget on R&D').
Academic
Used in economics, sociology, and psychology studies concerning resource allocation and time use.
Everyday
The most common context, discussing personal finances, leisure time, and daily activities.
Technical
In computing, can refer to CPU cycles or memory usage (e.g., 'The algorithm spends most of its time sorting data').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “spends”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “spends”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “spends”
- Incorrect tense: 'He spend a lot' (correct: 'spends').
- Missing object: 'He spends on clothes' (awkward; better: 'He spends money on clothes').
- Confusion with 'costs': 'It spends £20' (incorrect; 'It costs £20').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Spends' requires an animate subject (person/organisation) using a resource. 'Costs' refers to the price of an item/service (inanimate subject). 'Takes' refers to the required amount of time or resources for an activity (often impersonal: 'It takes...').
No. While money is the most common object, 'spends' is regularly used with 'time', 'energy', 'effort', and other consumable resources.
In very informal UK finance contexts, 'spends' can be a plural noun meaning 'expenditure' (e.g., 'track your spends'), but this is non-standard. The primary and standard use is as a verb.
'On' is most common for specifying what the resource is used for ('spends money on food'). 'With' indicates companionship ('spends time with friends'). 'At/in' indicate location ('spends summer at the cottage'). 'V-ing' shows the activity ('spends hours reading').
Third person singular present tense of the verb 'spend.
Spends is usually neutral; appropriate in formal, informal, spoken, and written contexts. in register.
Spends: in British English it is pronounced /spɛndz/, and in American English it is pronounced /spɛndz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “spends money like water”
- “spends time in the sun”
- “spends a penny (UK only, euphemism)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SPENDS' as 'S PEN DS': S (She) uses a PEN to sign cheques, DS (Dollars) disappear.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MONEY / RESOURCES ARE FLUIDS (to spend time, to spend energy, to spend freely).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'spends' correctly in a business context?