Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

---

spend, spends, spending, spent

Synonyms: expend, consume, disburse, use up, pay out

---

Antonyms: save, earn, conserve, hoard, accumulate

The Verb Spend – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb spend is a common irregular verb that means to use money to pay for things. It also means to use or pass time in a particular way.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: spend
■ Past Simple: spent
■ Past Participle: spent
■ Present Participle/Gerund: spending


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Spend' is a fundamental verb for talking about resources like money and time.


1. Using Money
This refers to purchasing goods or services.


■ Commerce: 'She spent over $200 on new shoes.'
■ Budgeting: 'We need to be careful not to spend too much this month.'


2. Passing Time or Using Effort
This refers to the allocation of time or energy.


■ Time: 'I spent the entire weekend reading.'
■ Effort: 'He spent hours trying to fix the computer.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: USAGE PATTERNS


■ Structure: Note the two common structures:
    1. spend + (resource) + on + (noun): 'I spent a lot of money on this car.'
    2. spend + (resource) + (verb)-ing: 'I spent a lot of time studying.'


■ 'Spent' as an Adjective: The past participle 'spent' is often used as an adjective meaning completely used up or exhausted.
■ Example: 'After running the marathon, the athlete was completely spent.'