spare

[ spair ]

verb (used with object)

, spared, spar·ing.

1. to refrain from harming or destroying; leave uninjured; forbear to punish, hurt, or destroy:

   to spare one's enemy.

2. to deal gently or leniently with; show consideration for:

   His harsh criticism spared no one.

3. to save from strain, discomfort, embarrassment, or the like, or from a particular cause of it: to spare her needless embarrassment.

   to spare him the bother;

   to spare her needless embarrassment.

4. to refrain from, forbear, omit, or withhold, as action or speech:

   Spare us the gory details.

5. to refrain from employing, as some instrument or recourse:

   to spare the rod.

6. to set aside for a particular purpose:

   to spare land for a garden.

   Synonyms: reserve

7. to give or lend, as from a supply, especially without inconvenience or loss: Can you spare me a dollar till payday?

   Can you spare a cup of sugar?

   Can you spare me a dollar till payday?

8. to dispense with or do without:

   We can't spare a single worker during the rush hour.

9. to use economically or frugally; refrain from using up or wasting:

   A walnut sundae, and don't spare the whipped cream!

10. to have remaining as excess or surplus:

    We can make the curtains and have a yard to spare.

verb (used without object)

, spared, spar·ing.

1. to use economy; be frugal.
2. to refrain from inflicting injury or punishment; exercise lenience or mercy.
3. Obsolete. to refrain from action; forbear.

adjective

, spar·er, spar·est.

1. kept in reserve, as for possible use:

   a spare part.

2. being in excess of present need; free for other use:

   How do you like to relax in your spare time?

   My travel adventures seem to soak up any spare cash I earn.

   Synonyms: extra

3. frugally restricted or meager, as a manner of living or a diet:

   a spare regime.

4. lean or thin, as a person.
5. scanty or scant, as in amount or fullness.
6. economical, moderate, or temperate, as persons; sparing.

noun

1. a spare thing, part, etc., as an extra tire for emergency use.
2. Ceramics. an area at the top of a plaster mold for holding excess slip.
3. Bowling.
   1. the knocking down of all the pins with two bowls.
   2. a score so made. Compare strike ( def 69 ).

spare

/ spɛə /

verb

1. tr to refrain from killing, punishing, harming, or injuring
2. tr to release or relieve, as from pain, suffering, etc
3. tr to refrain from using

   spare the rod, spoil the child

4. tr to be able to afford or give

   I can't spare the time

5. usually passive (esp of Providence) to allow to survive

   I'll see you again next year if we are spared

6. rare.
   intr to act or live frugally
7. rare.
   intr to show mercy
8. not spare oneself
   not spare oneself to exert oneself to the full
9. to spare
   to spare more than is required

   two minutes to spare

adjective

1. often immediately postpositive in excess of what is needed; additional

   are there any seats spare?

2. able to be used when needed

   a spare part

3. (of a person) thin and lean
4. scanty or meagre
5. slang.
   postpositive upset, angry, or distracted (esp in the phrase go spare )

noun

1. a duplicate kept as a replacement in case of damage or loss
2. a spare tyre
3. tenpin bowling
   1. the act of knocking down all the pins with the two bowls of a single frame
   2. the score thus made Compare strike

Derived Forms

• ˈspareness, noun
• ˈsparely, adverb
• ˈsparer, noun

Other Words From

• spare·a·ble adjective
• spare·ly adverb
• spare·ness noun
• spar·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of spare¹

First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English sparen, Old English sparian; cognate with Dutch, German sparen, Old Norse spara; (noun and adjective) Middle English; compare Old English spær “sparing, frugal” (cognate with Old High German spar, Old Norse sparr

Word History and Origins

Origin of spare¹

Old English sparian to refrain from injuring; related to Old Norse spara, Old High German sparōn

Idioms and Phrases

• to spare

Synonym Study

See thin.

Example Sentences

The problem doesn’t spare any of the major platforms and also exists on TripAdvisor and Yelp, although they apparently do a better job of cleaning up fake reviews.

From Search Engine Land

Find a quiet space to record — whether it’s a closet or a spare bedroom — in order to improve the audio quality.

From Search Engine Watch

One camp is convinced that the no-expense-spared fight against Covid-19 has put developed economies on course for rising prices on a scale they haven’t seen in decades.

From Fortune

It could also be that lower-income households have less spare time to spend wrangling for a refund.

From Fortune

So in his spare time, he worked for John Shaw Billings, head of the census office’s Division of Vital Statistics.

From MIT Technology Review

If the idea of a religious vigilante ambushing sex workers in his spare time sets off alarm bells, it probably should.

From The Daily Beast

The group encompasses Byrne's art-rock solitariness and the dissociation effects in the spare—somewhat Godardian—staging.

From The Daily Beast

We met on the third floor of a shabby building in Asadabad in an impossibly spare room that we dragged cushions into.

From The Daily Beast

No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us.

From The Daily Beast

He chose a corner spare room with good ventilation, and put aside a spare set of sheets and silverware, just in case.

From The Daily Beast

There seems something in that also which I could spare only very reluctantly from a new Bible in the world.

From Project Gutenberg

He threw himself on his knees, begging us, in the name of God and all the saints, to spare his life.

From Project Gutenberg

Harry took his bed into the spare-room, and Black Sheep lay down to die.

From Project Gutenberg

You may rest assured that I will spare no time or attention to promote the performance of this engine.

From Project Gutenberg

I assure you that it is as I say—neither at the post-house nor at any of the inns I visited could I find me a spare horse.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• afford
• allow
• give
• grant
• provide
• save