expire
Americanverb (used without object)
-
expires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
expired,
past participle, past
-
expiring
present participle
-
to come to an end; terminate, as a contract, guarantee, or offer.
-
to emit the last breath; die.
-
to breathe out.
-
to die out, as a fire.
verb (used with object)
-
expires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
expired,
past participle, past
-
expiring
present participle
-
to breathe out; emit (air) from the lungs.
-
Archaic. to give off, emit, or eject.
verb
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(intr) to finish or run out; cease; come to an end
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to breathe out (air); exhale
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(intr) to die
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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expiresimple
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expiressimple
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have expiredperfect
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has expiredperfect
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am expiringprogressive
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are expiringprogressive
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is expiringprogressive
-
have been expiringperfect progressive
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has been expiringperfect progressive
Past
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expiredsimple
-
had expiredperfect
-
was expiringprogressive
-
were expiringprogressive
-
had been expiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expire
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ex ( s ) pīrāre to breathe out, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + spīrāre to breathe
Explanation
If something — like milk or a free shipping coupon — expires, it is no longer usable or valid. When you expire, you will be dead. The verb expire comes from the Latin expirare, meaning “breathe out,” and the modern use retains that ancient meaning. The expanded, and more commonly used, meaning of expire is that the breath has — literally or figuratively — departed. When you expire your breath, you breathe out; you exhale. Things with a limited shelf life sometimes offer an expiration date that lets you know when they will expire: yogurt, frozen burritos, and even contracts for temporary employment. But some things expire in their own time: life, love, and car batteries.
Vocabulary lists containing expire
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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Vocabulary from texts about wild animals
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 1–January 7, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Restrictions on Rio restarting deal talks with Glencore expire Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Media reports in Uganda, external suggested the four may be looking to seek asylum, but Uganda's chef de mission Godwin Kayangwe said he hoped the athletes would return home before their visas expire in October.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The pressure could intensify as Bangladesh is set to lose the duty-free preferential market access it enjoys in Europe and other countries because its status as a least-developed country is scheduled to expire in 2029.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
That’s also as earnings continue to surprise on the upside, valuations are getting more attractive and corporate-buyback demand is set to pick up as blackout windows expire, Rubner added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
And since our introductory offer to E Motions would expire next Thursday, that basically meant karate was over for me.
From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee
If the stock rises above $110 before the option expires, you will be forced to sell it for $110 no matter how high the share price has risen.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
The president is reportedly considering pushing Infantino to become the next United Nations secretary-general when António Guterres’ term expires in December.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Uncertainty will also linger this week until a lockup period expires on Thursday, allowing a portion of SpaceX employees to sell their shares post-IPO.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
It's an extension of the 16-17 Saver railcard which currently expires when the holder turns 18.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
“My contract expires in June,” he announced to all concerned.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Trump appointed Kevin Warsh in May as new chairman of the Fed after predecessor Jerome Powell’s four-year term expired.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The contract expired July 31, affecting 90 nonprofit organizations and creating uncertainty for more than 24,000 unaccompanied minors across the U.S. who face losing legal representation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Chelsea turned to Xabi Alonso after Liam Rosenior's ill-fated term came to an end, Bournemouth appointed Marco Rose after Andoni Iraola's contract expired, and Nottingham Forest hired Oliver Glasner following Vitor Pereira's dismissal.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
He replaced those with a 10-percent global levy, which expired in July.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Joey has now been at Carville for more than four years—twice as long as she originally hoped—and her visa, which allows her to stay in the United States, has expired.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
But, with Vinicius a year away from his Real contract expiring, it is not simply a case of merely matching - or even slightly improving - his money if he was to leave this summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The federal government must adopt a new framework this year because the old rules, set in 2007, are expiring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In crafting the replacement tariffs, administration officials have said they would devise levies at similar levels to the expiring levies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Analysts widely expect the duties over forced labor to replace the temporary 10-percent global tariff -- expiring Friday -- that Trump imposed after his Supreme Court setback.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Her graduation was approaching, her student visa expiring.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
