Expendto consume or use up resources, especially money, time, or effort is a verb that means to use something up or to spend money, time, or effort. It is more formalused in serious or official language, not everyday speech than common alternativesother choices or words you can use instead like use or spend.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ɪkˈspɛnd/
Easy pronunciation: ik-SPEND (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable: spend.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Expend Meaning
to use something, usually in a controlled or formal way
Part of speech: verb
Definition: use up or spend something, especially time, money, or effort
Example: The project expended a lot of time and energy.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- use — Works as a general substitute when something is used up or applied.
- spend — A strong synonym when the thing being used is money, time, or effort.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Expend
Meaning 2
to pay money out
Part of speech: verb
Definition: pay out money
Example: The company expended funds on new equipment.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- spend — Matches this money sense well.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Expend Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- use
- spend
pay out money
- spend
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse expend with expand.
- Do not use expend for ordinary everyday spending unless a formal tone is intended.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does expend mean?
Expend means to use up something or to spend money, time, or effort, usually in a fairly formal way.
What are expend synonyms?
Common synonyms include use and spend, but the best choice depends on whether you mean using something up or paying money out.
Is expend the same as spend?
Sometimes. Expend can mean spend, especially in formal writing, but spend is more common in everyday English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-09. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.