expire
Americanverb (used without object)
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to come to an end; terminate, as a contract, guarantee, or offer.
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to emit the last breath; die.
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to breathe out.
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to die out, as a fire.
verb (used with object)
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to breathe out; emit (air) from the lungs.
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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
- expirer noun
- expiringly adverb
- nonexpiring adjective
- unexpired adjective
- unexpiring adjective
Etymology
Origin of expire
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ex ( s ) pīrāre to breathe out, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + spīrāre to breathe
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.
If no action is taken by May 13, the legislation will expire and the process will have to start from scratch, she added.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
EasyJet has said ticket prices might rise towards the end of summer when its hedging deals expire.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Some of the new terms expire in 2033, when the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration expects fifth-generation network upgrades to be completed, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
He predicted an uptick in contract renewals for the company this year, as three-year contracts from the end of the pandemic era expire.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
I think I might expire from happiness or something, because if it is him, my shiny, future self might be materializing before my eyes.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
