spend
to use time doing something or being somewhere
I think we need to spend more time together.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
spend
verb (spends, spending, spent /, has spent)
1 to pay money for something:
Louise spends a lot of money on clothes.
2 to pass time:
I spent the summer in Italy.
He spent a lot of time sleeping.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
spend
spend S1 W1 /spend/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle spent /spent/)
[Date: 1100-1200; Origin: Partly from Latin expendere ( ⇨ ↑expend) and partly, later, from Old French despendre, from Latin dispendere 'to weigh out']
1. MONEY [intransitive and transitive] to use your money to pay for goods or services:
I can’t afford to spend any more money this week.
spend £5/$10 etc
I only want to spend about $20.
spend something on something
More money should be spent on education.
spend something on somebody
Mum never spends any money on herself.
The repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money).
2. TIME [transitive] to use time doing a particular thing or pass time in a particular place
spend time etc with somebody
I want to spend more time with my family.
spend time etc in/at something
We’ll have to spend the night in a hotel.
His childhood was spent in Brazil.
spend time etc doing something
Stacey spends all her free time painting.
3.
a) spend the night with somebody to stay for the night and have sex with someone
b) spend the night (at something) if someone spends the night at someone’s house, they sleep at that person’s house for a night:
She spent the night at a friend’s house.
4. FORCE/EFFORT [transitive] to use effort or energy to do something:
I love to cook, but I don’t feel like spending the energy every evening.
5. spend a penny British English spoken old-fashioned to ↑urinate – used when you want to avoid saying this directly
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ spend to use money to buy things: I bought two skirts and a T-shirt and I only spent $50. | How much do you spend a week on food?
▪ go through something (also get through something British English) to spend all of an amount of money over a period of time – used especially when saying that someone spends a lot of money: I got through all my money in less than a month, and had to get my parents to send me more.
▪ go to great expense to spend a lot of money in order to do something, because you think it is important or special: The party was wonderful – they had obviously gone to great expense. | There’s no need to go to great expense.
▪ squander /ˈskwɒndə $ ˈskwɑːndər/ to waste money on unnecessary things, instead of saving it or using it carefully: His son had squandered the family fortune on gambling and women.
▪ splash out British English informal to spend a lot of money on something you really want or will enjoy: Let’s splash out on a bottle of champagne. | People often splash out for Christmas and then regret it later.
▪ blow informal to spend a lot of money on something, especially on something that you do not really need: Her husband blew all their savings on a new sports car.
▪ economize to spend less money: We’re trying to economize by eating at home instead of going out for meals.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
spend
spend [spend spends spent spending] verb, noun [spend] [spend]
verb (spent, spent [spent] ; [spent] )
1. transitive, intransitive to give money to pay for goods, services, etc
• ~ sth I've spent all my money already.
• ~ sth on sth/on doing sth She spent £100 on a new dress.
• ~ (sth doing sth) The company has spent thousands of pounds updating their computer systems.
• I just can't seem to stop spending.
2. transitive to use time for a particular purpose; to pass time
• ~ sth + adv./prep. We spent the weekend in Paris.
• How do you spend your spare time?
• Her childhood was spent in Italy.
• ~ sth on sth How long did you spend on your homework?
• ~ sth doing sth I spend too much time watching television.
• I've spent years trying to learn Japanese.
• ~ sth in doing sth Most of her life was spent in caring for others.
3. transitive, often passive to use energy, effort, etc, especially until it has all been used
• ~ sth on sth She spends too much effort on things that don't matter.
• ~ itself The storm had finally spent itself.
see also spent
Word Origin:
Old English spendan, from Latin expendere ‘pay out’; partly also a shortening of obsolete dispend, from Latin dispendere ‘pay out’.
Thesaurus:
spend verb
1. T, I
• She spent £100 on a new dress.
pay • • give • • invest •
spend/invest on sth
spend/pay/give/invest money/£1 000
spendpay/give/invest a lot
2. T
• I spend too much time watching TV.
pass • • occupy • • fill • • devote sth to sth • • while sth away • |sometimes disapproving take up sth •
spend/pass/occupy/fill/devote/while away/take up (the) time
spend/pass/occupy/fill/devote/while away/take up an hour/a couple of hours
Example Bank:
• The company spent a lot on advertising.
• Try to be objective if you want to spend your money wisely.
• Try to spend your money wisely.
• the amount of money spent per student
• He had grown used to spending freely, without worrying about the consequences.
• I've spent all my money already.
• I've spent years trying to learn Japanese.
Idioms: spend a penny ▪ spend the night with somebody
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
spend / spend / verb [ I or T ] ( spent , spent ) (MONEY)
A2 to give money as a payment for something:
How much did you spend?
I don't know how I managed to spend so much in the pub last night.
We spent a fortune when we were in New York.
She spends a lot of money on clothes.
We've just spent £1.9 million on improving our computer network.
We went on a spending spree (= we bought a lot of things) on Saturday.
spend / spend / verb [ T ] ( spent , spent ) (TIME)
A2 to use time doing something or being somewhere:
I think we need to spend more time together.
I spent a lot of time clean ing that room.
I've spent years build ing up my collection.
I spent an hour at the station wait ing for the train.
How long do you spend on your homework?
My sister always spends ages in the bathroom.
We spent the weekend in London.
You can spend the night here if you like.
spend / spend / verb [ T ] ( spent , spent ) (FORCE)
to use energy, effort, force, etc., especially until there is no more left:
For the past month he's been spending all his energy trying to find a job.
They continued firing until all their ammunition was spent (= there was none of it left) .
The hurricane will probably have spent most of its force (= most of its force will have gone) by the time it reaches the northern parts of the country.
Her anger soon spent itself (= stopped) .
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
spend
[spe̱nd]
♦
spends, spending, spent
1) VERB When you spend money, you pay money for things that you want.
[V n] By the end of the holiday I had spent all my lire...
[V n -ing] Businessmen spend enormous amounts advertising their products...
[V amount/n on n] Juventus have spent ₤23m on new players...
[V-ed] The survey may cost at least ₤100 but is money well spent.
Derived words:
spending N-UNCOUNT Has your spending on food increased?... Government spending is expected to fall.
2) VERB If you spend time or energy doing something, you use your time or effort doing it.
[V n -ing] Engineers spend much time and energy developing brilliant solutions...
[V n -ing] This energy could be much better spent taking some positive action.
3) VERB If you spend a period of time in a place, you stay there for a period of time.
[V n adv/prep] We spent the night in a hotel.
4) spend a penny → see penny
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
spend
spend /ˈspɛnd/ verb spends; spent /ˈspɛnt/; spend·ing
1 : to use (money) to pay for something
[+ obj]
• 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.
• This computer wasn't cheap, but it was money well spent. [=it was worth its price]
[no obj]
• Her willingness to spend freely made her popular among her friends.
• He spends lavishly on vacations.
2 [+ obj] : to allow (time) to pass in a particular place or while doing a particular activity
• 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.
3 [+ obj] : to use (energy or effort) to do something
• She spends far too much energy worrying about her daughter.
• I wish he spent as much (of his) effort/energy on studying as he does on video games.
• Our energy/effort(s) would be better spent (in) solving the problem rather than just complaining about it.
spend the night
✦If you sleep at a place for a night, you spend the night there.
• After the party she was too drunk to drive so she spent the night.
• They spent the night at her brother's. If you spend the night with someone, or if you and someone else spend the night together, you stay with someone overnight and have sex with that person.
• We spent the night together.
• I spent the night with her/him.
