expend

[ik-spend]

verb (used with object)

1. to use up.

   She expended energy, time, and care on her work.

   Synonyms: empty, consume

2. to pay out; disburse; spend.

expend

/ ɪkˈspɛnd /

verb

1. to spend; disburse

2. to consume or use up

Other Word Forms

• expender noun
• overexpend verb
• preexpend verb (used with object)
• unexpended adjective
• well-expended adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of expend¹

1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin expendere “to weigh out, lay out, pay”

Word History and Origins

Origin of expend¹

C15: from Latin expendere, from pendere to weigh

Synonym Study

See spend.

Example Sentences

Two shooting drill stations were created at training but the gap between them was widened so more energy was expended to get between the two.

From BBC

The Swiss pharmaceutical company is a big spender in Washington, D.C. where it expended more than $10.7 million on federal lobbying expenses last year.

From Salon

Some critics say that more effort should instead be expended on reducing meat consumption, instead of looking to a technology fix.

From BBC

Alcaraz held to love to start the deciding set and quickly went a break up, with Munar looking to have expended all his energy taking the second set.

From BBC

“Why should an advanced society wish to expend the effort to communicate such information to a backward, emerging, novice civilization like our own?”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ante up 
• consume 
• disburse 
• dispense 
• dissipate 
• put out 
• use up