verb
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to spend; disburse
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to consume or use up
Synonym Usage
See spend.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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expendernoun
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overexpendverb
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preexpendverb (used with object)
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unexpendedadjective
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well-expendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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expendsimple
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expendssimple
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have expendedperfect
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has expendedperfect
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am expendingprogressive
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are expendingprogressive
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is expendingprogressive
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have been expendingperfect progressive
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has been expendingperfect progressive
Past
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expendedsimple
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had expendedperfect
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was expendingprogressive
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were expendingprogressive
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had been expendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expend
1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin expendere “to weigh out, lay out, pay”
Explanation
The verb expend means to use. If you expend all your energy raking the leaves, you may be too tired to play hockey afterwards. Better pace yourself — you'll never get all of the leaves on the ground, after all. The verb expend means to spend or pay out. You can expend money, but you can also expend things like good will and time. As a voter, you can vote for or against the city's plan to expend money on a new library building, but the city may be expending voter willingness to support the plan if the building goes over the budget. There is no point in building a library if they can't afford to buy books!
Vocabulary lists containing expend
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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pend, pens, List 1
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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:
The deficits have been exacerbated by the war in the Middle East, which saw US allies expend huge quantities of air defence ammunition protecting sites in the Gulf.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Ktown for All was harmed by having to expend resources replenishing the seized items, it alleged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026
And — perhaps most importantly — how much energy do you actually have to expend?
From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2026
So drivers will have to make choices about when to expend energy at various points on a lap for optimum racing.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
Although the tool was weightless in space, it was still difficult to operate, requiring the cosmonauts to expend a lot of energy with each movement.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
A worm expends a vast amount of energy to jump and faces risks of predation or drying out while suspended in the air.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2025
Currently the Mexican government expends significant resources to patrol its own southern border, not to mention dealing with the many potential migrants who gather in its northern cities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
These refer to one-sided relationships where one party expends an overt amount of time, emotional energy and money on another whom they are fascinated with, but who may not know they exist.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2024
A smart water heater monitors usage and expends energy more efficiently, and you can control and check them from your phone.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
The anthrax poison expends its fatal energy especially on the blood and blood-vessels.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
For example, the updated report estimates that the U.S. has expended 1,060-1,430 Patriot missiles in the Iran war, leaving as few as 870 in America’s arsenal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
She’s expended so much of it on others that she has none left for herself.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
In truth, despite the considerable effort expended by law enforcement, the investigation went cold nearly as soon as it began.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Experts say much of that energy is expended on speed.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
He’d expended every last bit of his strength to reach the summit—and now there was nothing left in reserve for the descent.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
One is industrial capacity, already strained by the Ukraine conflict and the need for the U.S. and its partners to rebuild stocks after expending large amounts of munitions in the war with Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
A behind-the-scenes teaser trailer boasts of expending 25 tons of propane to create a realistic approximation of dragon fire and setting a new world record for setting stunt performers on fire in a single take.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
Investors are largely wasting their time when expending significant time and resources to find stocks they think will outperform the market — unless they hold these stocks for many years.
From MarketWatch ● May 30, 2026
And the effort worth expending on collecting evidence depends on the importance of the decision—something Sutherland rates on a scale of 1 to 7.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
I am very aware that I should not be driving, and yet I seem to be doing this without expending any thought or energy.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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.
