verb
adjective
-
used up or exhausted; consumed
-
(of a fish) exhausted by spawning
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spent
First recorded in 1425–75, for the adjective
Explanation
If you're spent, you are completely worn out or exhausted. Almost everyone feels completely spent after climbing a mountain or running a marathon. When you're spent, you've used up your reserves of energy, and when a physical item is spent, it's outlived its usefulness. Spent fuel, for example, has been burned and can no longer power a machine, and a rocket might power a space shuttle until it's spent and falls away. The adjective spent comes from the verb spend, "to pay out," which has the Latin root expendere, "to pay down."
Vocabulary lists containing spent
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.
The deal is Boeing’s latest divestiture under CEO Kelly Ortberg, who has spent the past two years focused on stabilizing the company’s core commercial jet and military businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Every couple of years, participants reported how much time they spent on strength training and aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling and swimming.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
“I realize not too much of the cash pile has been spent, and the cash pile remains large. However, these first steps look to be more framing moves than investment moves.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
He says he’s spent $350,000 of his own funds in engineering studies and advocacy to advance the path.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Jonah and I have spent the last few weekends here, helping Dad fix up a couple of units on the fourth floor.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
