expend

IPA/ɪkˈspend/
KK[ɪkspˈɛnd]IPA/ɪkˈspend/

expend — verb

  • expendpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • expendshe / she / it
  • expendedpast simple
  • expending-ing form

1. to use a supply of money, time, energy, or another resource, especially when doi

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to use a supply of money, time, energy, or another resource, especially when doing so reduces the amount available or requires a large quantity.

例句

The team expended a huge amount of energy setting up the equipment before sunrise.

expend + [quantity] + energy + [verb]-ing

Diya expended most of her savings on the flight to Seoul.

同義詞
  • spend

    more general and less formal; 'spend' works for everyday use of money or time, while 'expend' suggests a larger or more deliberate consumption

  • use up

    phrasal verb; emphasises the resource becoming fully consumed or exhausted

  • consume

    stronger implication that the resource is entirely used or destroyed in the process

  • utilise

    more technical; focuses on putting a resource to practical use rather than consuming it

反義詞
  • save

    to keep resources rather than use them

  • conserve

    to use carefully and avoid waste, the opposite of spending freely

文法句型

expend + [quantity] + [resource] + on/in + [activity]

expend + [resource] + [verb]-ing

用法筆記

More formal than spend or use. Commonly appears with quantity expressions such as a huge amount of, a great deal of, most of, or nearly all of. Takes a gerund complement to describe the activity the resource is spent on.

常見錯誤

❌I expended ten dollars on lunch.
✅I spent ten dollars on lunch.
💡'Expend' sounds overly formal for everyday small purchases; use 'spend' in casual contexts.