Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense spares, present participle sparing, past tense, past participle spared
1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You use spare to describe something that is the same as things that you are already using, but that you do not need yet and are keeping ready in case another one is needed.
If possible keep a spare pair of glasses accessible in case your main pair is brokenor lost.
Don't forget to take a few spare batteries.
He could have taken a spare key.
The wagons carried spare ammunition.
Synonyms: back-up, reserve, second, extra More Synonyms of spare
Spare is also a noun.
Give me the trunk key and I'll get the spare.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You use spare to describe something that is not being used by anyone, and is therefore available for someone to use.
They don't have a lot of spare cash.
The spare bedroom is on the second floor.
There was hardly a spare inch of space to be found.
Synonyms: extra, surplus, leftover, over More Synonyms of spare
3. verb [only to-inf]
If you have something such as time, money, or space to spare, you have some extra time, money, or space that you have not used or which you do not need.
You got here with ninety seconds to spare. [VERB]
It's not as if he has money to spare. [VERB]
The car suddenly darted ahead, squeezing past him with only inches to spare. [VERB]
Miranda has drive and energy to spare and has now taken on an even bigger challenge. [VERB]
4. verb
If you spare time or another resource for a particular purpose, you make it available for that purpose.
She said that she could only spare 35 minutes for our meeting. [VERB noun]
He's a very busy man, and it's good of him to spare the time to visit. [VERB noun]
He suggested that his country could not spare the troops for such an operation. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: afford, give, grant, do without More Synonyms of spare
5. verb [usually passive]
If a person or a place is spared, they are not harmed, even though other people or places have been.
[literary]
We have lost everything, but thank God, our lives have been spared. [beVERB-ed]
Not a man was spared. [beVERB-ed]
The area was largely spared from the famine. [beV-ed from n]
Synonyms: have mercy on, pardon, have pity on, leave More Synonyms of spare
6. verb
If you spare someone an unpleasant experience, you prevent them from suffering it.
I wanted to spare Frances the embarrassment of discussing this subject. [VERB noun noun]
Prisoners are spared the indignity of wearing uniforms. [VERB noun noun]
Spare me the gory details. [VERB noun noun]
She's just trying to spare Shawna's feelings. [VERB noun]
The policy has not spared the farming community from severe financial pressure. [VERB noun from noun]
7. graded adjective
Someone who is described as spare is tall and not at all fat.
[literary]
She was thin and spare, with a sharply intelligent face.
Synonyms: thin, lean, slim, slender More Synonyms of spare
8. graded adjective
Something such as a room that is spare is very plain with no unnecessary features.
[literary]
Inside, the two small rooms were spare and neat, stripped bare of ornaments.
Synonyms: meagre, sparing, modest, economical More Synonyms of spare
9. See also sparing
10.
See spare no effort
11.
See spare a thought for
12. to spare someone's blushes
More Synonyms of spare
spare in British English
(spɛə)
verb
1. (transitive)
to refrain from killing, punishing, harming, or injuring
2. (transitive)
to release or relieve, as from pain, suffering, etc
3. (transitive)
to refrain from using
spare the rod, spoil the child
4. (transitive)
to be able to afford or give
I can't spare the time
5. (usually passive)
(esp of Providence) to allow to survive
I'll see you again next year if we are spared
6. (intransitive) rare
to act or live frugally
7. (intransitive) rare
to show mercy
8. not spare oneself
9. to spare
adjective
10. (often immediately postpositive)
in excess of what is needed; additional
are there any seats spare?
11.
able to be used when needed
a spare part
12.
(of a person) thin and lean
13.
scanty or meagre
14. (postpositive) British slang
upset, angry, or distracted (esp in the phrase go spare)
noun
15.
a duplicate kept as a replacement in case of damage or loss
16.
a spare tyre
17. tenpin bowling
a.
the act of knocking down all the pins with the two bowls of a single frame
b.
the score thus made
Compare strike (sense 40)
Derived forms
sparely (ˈsparely)
adverb
spareness (ˈspareness)
noun
sparer (ˈsparer)
noun
Word origin
Old English sparian to refrain from injuring; related to Old Norse spara, Old High German sparōn
spare in American English
(spɛr)
verb transitiveWord forms: spared or ˈsparing
1.
to treat with mercy or leniency; refrain from killing, injuring, troubling, or distressing; save
2.
to save or free a person from (something)
to spare someone trouble
3.
to refrain from, omit, avoid using, or use frugally
to spare no effort
4.
to give up the use or possession of; part with or give up conveniently
able to spare a cup of sugar
verb intransitive
5.
to practice close economy; be frugal or sparing
6.
to be merciful or restrained, as in punishing
adjectiveWord forms: ˈsparer or ˈsparest
7.
not in regular use or immediately needed; extra
a spare room, a spare tire
8.
not taken up by regular work or duties; free
spare time
9.
frugal; meager; scanty
to live on spare rations
10.
not fleshy; lean; thin
11.
economical in style; using simple language and a minimum of words; restrained
noun
12.
a spare, or extra, part, thing, etc.
13. US, Bowling
a.
the act of knocking down all the pins with two consecutive rolls of the ball
b.
a score so made
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈmeager
Idioms:
something to spare
Derived forms
sparely (ˈsparely)
adverb
spareness (ˈspareness)
noun
sparer (ˈsparer)
noun
Word origin
ME sparien < OE sparian, akin to spær, thrifty, Ger sparen, to save: see space
More idioms containing
spare
spare someone's blushes
spare no expense
Examples of 'spare' in a sentence
spare
Perhaps she is a spare in case one dies.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And how could it be supposed that his uncle and aunt would spare him again?
Jane Austen Emma (1815)
Suggestions for uses for a spare dictionary to the usual address please.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Land sparing is already occurring on a grand scale.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Foster parents will also be exempt when housing benefit is docked for council tenants with spare space.
The Sun (2013)
We had a spare bit of money but that has all gone now.
The Sun (2014)
Work you do in your spare time to help a friend has a lucky outcome.
The Sun (2012)
It was finished with two days to spare.
Judd, Alan Ford Madox Ford (1990)
Is it really true that we are incapable of sparing a single minute for sorrow and respect?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We should spare a thought for the prisoners too.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Or the possibility of the new carpet failing to match the duvet in the spare bedroom.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Make sure you take spare robes in case you get wet.
The Sun (2007)
Such problems can be avoided if a proper charge is made for the use of spare capacity.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
Put the chicken in a roasting tin with room to spare.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There is money to spare already beyond the original plans of the organisers.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You can't replace it just by shelling out more when you have some spare cash again.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Love the idea of a cake stand but can't spare the shelf space?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In the face of all this antiquity, the couple left the rough stone farmhouse pretty spare and plain.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
spare
British English: spare /spɛə/ ADJECTIVE
You use spare to describe something that is the same as things that you are already using, but that you do not need yet and are keeping ready in case another one is needed.
If possible keep a spare pair of glasses accessible in case your main pair is broken or lost.
American English: spare
Arabic: احْتِيَاطِيّ
Brazilian Portuguese: excedente
Chinese: 备用的
Croatian: rezervni
Czech: náhradní
Danish: ekstra
Dutch: reserve
European Spanish: de más
Finnish: ylimääräinen
French: supplémentaire
German: übrig
Greek: εφεδρικός
Italian: di riserva
Japanese: 余分の
Korean: 여분의
Norwegian: reserve-
Polish: zapasowy
European Portuguese: excedente
Romanian: de rezervă
Russian: свободный
Latin American Spanish: de más
Swedish: i reserv
Thai: ซึ่งสำรองไว้
Turkish: yedek
Ukrainian: запасний
Vietnamese: thừa
British English: spare /spɛə/ VERB
If you spare time or money, you make it available.
I can only spare 35 minutes for this meeting.
American English: spare
Arabic: يَسْتَغْنِي
Brazilian Portuguese: conceder
Chinese: 宽容
Croatian: odvojiti
Czech: ušetřit
Danish: afse
Dutch: sparen persoon
European Spanish: emplear
Finnish: säästää joku joltakin
French: épargner
German: entbehren
Greek: φείδομαι
Italian: risparmiare
Japanese: 容赦する
Korean: 할애하다
Norwegian: skåne
Polish: oszczędzić darować
European Portuguese: poupar
Romanian: a se dispensa de
Russian: сохранить
Latin American Spanish: escatimar
Swedish: avvara
Thai: สงวนไว้
Turkish: ayırmak
Ukrainian: заощаджувати
Vietnamese: dành cho ai
All related terms of 'spare'
to spare
more than is required
spare part
Spare parts are parts that you can buy separately to replace old or broken parts in a piece of equipment. They are usually parts that are designed to be easily removed or fitted .
spare ribs
Spare ribs are pieces of meat such as beef or pork that have been cut to include one of the animal's ribs.
spare room
A spare room is a bedroom which is kept especially for visitors to sleep in.
spare seat
A seat is an object that you can sit on, for example a chair .
spare time
Your spare time is the time during which you do not have to work and you can do whatever you like.
spare tire
an extra tire and wheel for a motor vehicle, stored in the vehicle for use in an emergency
spare tyre
A spare tyre is a wheel with a tyre on it that you keep in your car in case you get a flat tyre and need to replace one of your wheels.
spare wheel
A spare wheel is a wheel with a tyre on it that you keep in your car in case you get a flat tyre and need to replace one of your wheels.
spare bedroom
→ another name for spare room
spare capacity
The capacity of something such as a factory, industry, or region is the quantity of things that it can produce or deliver with the equipment or resources that are available .
not spare oneself
to exert oneself to the full
something to spare
a surplus of something
spare no expense
to spend as much money as is necessary to achieve or do something
spare-part surgery
surgical replacement of defective or damaged organs by transplant or insertion of artificial devices
spare a thought for
If you spare a thought for an unfortunate person, you make an effort to think sympathetically about them and their bad luck .
spare someone's blushes
to do something that prevents someone from being in an embarrassing situation
spare no effort to spare no expense
If you spare no effort in doing something, you do it as well as possible , without worrying about the amount of work involved. If you spare no expense in doing it, you do it as well as possible, without trying to save money.
to spare someone's blushes save sb's blushes
If you spare someone's blushes or save someone's blushes , you avoid doing or saying something that will embarrass them.
Chinese translation of 'spare'
spare
(spɛəʳ)
adj
(= free) 多余(餘)的 (duōyú de)
(= extra) 备(備)用的 (bèiyòng de)
n(c)
=spare part
vt
to spare sb the trouble/pain/details避免某人的麻烦(煩)/痛苦/让(讓)某人知道详(詳)情 (bìmiǎn mǒurén de máfan/tònkǔ/ràng mǒurén zhīdào xiángqíng)
(= make available) 抽出 (chōuchū)
(= afford to give) 出让(讓) (chūràng)
(= not harm) 幸(倖)免 (xìngmiǎn)
these two are going spare这(這)两(兩)个(個)是闲(閒)着(著)的 (zhè liǎng gè shì xiánzhe de)
to have time/money to spare有剩余(餘)的时(時)间(間)/金钱(錢) (yǒu shèngyú de shíjiān/jīnqián)
to spare no expense不惜工本 (bù xī gōngběn)
I can spare (you) 5 minutes我能(为(為)你)抽出5分钟(鐘) (wǒ néng (wèi nǐ) chōuchū wǔ fēnzhōng)
All related terms of 'spare'
spare part
备(備)件 bèijiàn [ 个(個) gè ]
spare time
业(業)余(餘)时(時)间(間) yèyú shíjiān
to spare no expense
不惜工本 bù xī gōngběn
these two are going spare
这(這)两(兩)个(個)是闲(閒)着(著)的 zhè liǎng gè shì xiánzhe de
to have time/money to spare
有剩余(餘)的时(時)间(間)/金钱(錢) yǒu shèngyú de shíjiān/jīnqián
to spare or save sb's blushes
不让(讓)某人感到脸(臉)红(紅) bù ràng mǒurén gǎndào liǎnhóng
to spare sb the trouble/pain/details
避免某人的麻烦(煩)/痛苦/让(讓)某人知道详(詳)情 bìmiǎn mǒurén de máfan/tònkǔ/ràng mǒurén zhīdào xiángqíng