spent

American  

[spent] / spɛnt /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of spend.

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adjective

1. tired; worn-out; exhausted.

   Synonyms:

   fatigued, weary

2. used up; consumed.

spent British  

/ spɛnt /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of spend

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adjective

1. used up or exhausted; consumed

2. (of a fish) exhausted by spawning

Other Word Forms

• well-spent adjective

Etymology

Origin of spent

First recorded in 1425–75, for the adjective

Example Sentences

The residents have spent years fighting to halt the plan.

From Barron's

His team spent the entire first half climbing out of a hole.

From Los Angeles Times

Johnson isn’t the only athlete wondering why the people who spent nearly six centuries building the Duomo couldn’t figure out a better way to attach a medal to a ribbon.

From The Wall Street Journal

After high school, he said, he spent several years working on farms, including with the Amish in Lancaster, Pa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Grimes, for his part, spent years developing a relationship with Musk, becoming one of the few bankers the erratic entrepreneur “tolerates,” according to a SpaceX investor who knows both men.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dead
• finished
• lost
• used
• wasted