English dictionary

expend Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the past tense of expend?

The past tense of expend is expended. The present participle is expending.

ik-ˈspend

What Does Expend Mean?

Expend is used as a verb meaning to pay out. It can also mean to make use of for a specific purpose.

Expend at a Glance

Part of speech	verb
Pronunciation	/ik-ˈspend/
Syllables	2
Synonyms	use, drop and spend
Antonyms	cache, hoard and lay up
Verb forms	expends, expending, expended

Expend Definition (Verb)

to pay out : spend
… the social services upon which public revenue is expended.
to make use of for a specific purpose : utilize
projects on which they expended great energy
use up

Synonyms of Expend

use drop spend disbursefork (over, out, or up)give lay out outlay pay shell out absorb burn consume deplete devour drain draw down exhaust play out use up

Expend synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Expend

cache hoard lay up save acquire earn gain garner make procure realize secure win renew replace augment enlarge increase bolster enforce fortify reinforce strengthen rebuild repair restore revive conserve preserve

Expend in a Sentence

… the social services upon which public revenue is expended.

projects on which they expended great energy

redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house

settlers had to be sure not to expend their supply of firewood before the end of the long winter

Word Forms & Grammar

ex·pend·ed

ex·pend·ing

ex·pends

ex·pend·er noun

expend

expended

expender

expenders

expending

expends

expend (third-person singular simple present expends, present participle expending, simple past and past participle expended)

Words That Rhyme With Expend

contend comprehend apprehend transcend commend condescend attend portend mend friend extend bend descend ascend defend intend append end lend send tend girlfriend penned scend distend blend pretend spend offend godsend

Origin of Expend

Origin 1: Middle English expenden, exspenden, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French espendre, expendre, borrowed from Latin expendere "to weigh, pay out, disburse," from ex- ex-:1 + pendere "to weigh, have a weight of, pay (out), estimate, consider" pendent:1

Origin 2: Borrowed from Latin expendō (“to weigh; to pay out”). Doublet of spend.

First Known Use

15th century

Expend Pronunciation

The standard pronunciation of expend is /ik-ˈspend/, spoken in 2 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (spend).

Frequently Asked Questions About Expend

What part of speech is expend?

Expend is a verb.

What is another word for expend?

Words with a similar meaning to expend include use, drop and spend. See the full list of expend synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of expend?

Antonyms of expend include cache, hoard, lay up and save.

What is the past tense of expend?

The past tense of expend is expended. The present participle is expending.