spared

[ spaird ]

adjective

1. left intact; not damaged, punished, destroyed, killed, etc.:

   After a seven-month siege they captured the city, and the spared captives were taken into exile.

   After a brain injury in early childhood, language function is typically transferred to the spared hemisphere.

2. dispensed with or done without:

   I finally obtained a little ready money by converting some easily spared articles of jewelry into cash.

3. used frugally or not used; withheld; not spent:

   At no spared effort or expense, the enhanced design protocol has been applied to all the products in our new lineup.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of spare.

Other Words From

• un·spared adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spared¹

First recorded in 1575–85; spare ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; spare ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Soon, millions of people around the world could be spared from illness by the breakthroughs.

From Fortune

He minimized talk of his wartime past and his visit to Dublin — and changed his surname to Loder to spare his father embarrassment over having an actor in the family.

From Ozy

So let’s spare a thought this morning for the political leaders—in all countries—who currently have to make the toughest calls, with no clear models to guide them.

From Fortune

This is like one huge coronavirus forest fire, and I don’t think it’s going to spare much human wood out there unless we change our behavior.

From Washington Post

Sonderman’s wings, spare ribs and pork shoulder remain the stars of the menu, distinctive and consistent.

From Washington Post

If they returned to their church, they would be spared a second attack.

From The Daily Beast

If Bush-Portman is the Republican nightmare ticket for Democrats, however, they may be spared.

From The Daily Beast

And when we have been spared such tragedy, it has happened precisely because presidents have stood up to the bully caucus.

From The Daily Beast

Victoria and I were spared that, at least, but we were down to T-shirts and thin blouses.

From The Daily Beast

But the one-term Republican could still be spared from rejection.

From The Daily Beast

He was cast down to think that he might have spared himself the trouble of donning his beautiful yellow doublet from Paris.

From Project Gutenberg

We had a conference with each of them, Generals and Staff who could be spared from the fighting being present.

From Project Gutenberg

She was in a bitter mood to-night, not sparing Ralph Towne as she would not have spared herself.

From Project Gutenberg

In Miss Ashton's case there was a feature some are spared—her love had been known—and it increased the anguish tenfold.

From Project Gutenberg

Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• immune