"spare" meaning in English

See spare in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈspɛə(r)/ [UK], /'speʳ/ [US] Audio: en-us-spare.ogg [US] Forms: spare [positive], more spare [comparative], most spare [superlative]
Head templates: {{adj|more=true}} [POS TABLE]
  1. A spare part, room, key, etc. is an extra one, one that is not being used.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-adj-EFs7vyUi Categories (other): Attributive modifiers
  2. Your spare time is time when you are not working and you can relax or have fun.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-adj-iSW7nrbb
  3. Spare change is coins that are not worth much and that you can give away.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-adj-C4yz9e88
  4. If something is spare, it is plain and has no decoration.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-adj-4~OrMUTP
  5. A spare person is tall and thin.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-adj-BazcC6AX

Noun

IPA: /ˈspɛə(r)/ [UK], /'speʳ/ [US] Audio: en-us-spare.ogg [US] Forms: spare [singular], spares [plural]
Head templates: {{noun}} [POS TABLE]
  1. A spare is an extra thing, such as a key, just in case it is needed.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-noun-UBxvAaM5
  2. A spare is a tire that you keep in your car in case one of the other tires has a problem.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-noun-8~GO0s9Z

Verb

IPA: /ˈspɛə(r)/ [UK], /'speʳ/ [US] Audio: en-us-spare.ogg [US] Forms: spare [canonical], spares [third-person, singular], spared [past], spared [past, participle], sparing [present, participle]
Head templates: {{verb|spar|e}} [POS TABLE]
  1. If you spare (somebody) something, you make it available even though you don't have much of it.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-0RbYckCo
  2. If you have something to spare, you have something extra.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-nBh66ppf
  3. If you spare somebody something not nice, they don't have to experience it.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-CBGGn56B
  4. If somebody is spared, they live, even though they were expected to die.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-NfW5Ao2z
  5. If you spare no expense, effort, detail, etc., you do everything you can.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-iaELSSCA
  6. If you spare a thought for somebody, you think of them, usually at a time that you are happy, but they are not.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-LjsMkZbd
  7. If you spare somebody's feelings, you try not to do or say things that will upset them.
    Sense id: simple-spare-en-verb-zvhrHYSt
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spare",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spares",
      "tags": [
        "third-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spared",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spared",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "participle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sparing",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "participle"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "spar",
        "2": "e"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Excuse, me! Can you spare a few minutes to look at this?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Can you spare me twenty dollars till the weekend?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Sorry, man – I can't spare anything. I need it all for gas."
        },
        {
          "text": "I'm afraid we're too busy to spare anyone to help you right now."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare (somebody) something, you make it available even though you don't have much of it."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-0RbYckCo",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She had five minutes to spare before he was due to pick her up."
        },
        {
          "text": "Sorry, no time to spare! Got to go! Bye!"
        },
        {
          "text": "She could get it all inside with room to spare."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you have something to spare, you have something extra."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-nBh66ppf",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive",
        "infinitive only"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The phone rang, sparing me from having to give an answer."
        },
        {
          "text": "\"But for your information --;\" she lifted a silencing, hand. \"Spare me the details, will you?\""
        },
        {
          "text": "\"I'm so upset, I think I'm going to be sick.\" \"Oh, please! Spare me!\""
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare somebody something not nice, they don't have to experience it."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-CBGGn56B",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The accident took the life of his wife, but spared his son."
        },
        {
          "text": "Please, I beg you, spare him his life!"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If somebody is spared, they live, even though they were expected to die."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-NfW5Ao2z",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They spared no expense for their wedding."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare no expense, effort, detail, etc., you do everything you can."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-iaELSSCA",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare a thought for somebody, you think of them, usually at a time that you are happy, but they are not."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-LjsMkZbd",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She never hid the truth to spare somebody's feelings."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare somebody's feelings, you try not to do or say things that will upset them."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-verb-zvhrHYSt",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈspɛə(r)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/'speʳ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-spare.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spare"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spare",
      "tags": [
        "positive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more spare",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most spare",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "more": "true"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Attributive modifiers",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The bags were in the small backseat because the spare tire filled most of the trunk."
        },
        {
          "text": "I've got a spare bedroom. You can stay there."
        },
        {
          "text": "It took a long time to find enough spare parts to put the car back together."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A spare part, room, key, etc. is an extra one, one that is not being used."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-adj-EFs7vyUi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "usually before a noun"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He spends most of his spare time playing guitar with his friends."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Your spare time is time when you are not working and you can relax or have fun."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-adj-iSW7nrbb"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I often find spare change lying on the floor."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Spare change is coins that are not worth much and that you can give away."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-adj-C4yz9e88"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The room was very spare, with only a window, a single chair, and a ceiling light."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If something is spare, it is plain and has no decoration."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-adj-4~OrMUTP"
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A spare person is tall and thin."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-adj-BazcC6AX"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈspɛə(r)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/'speʳ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-spare.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spare"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spare",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spares",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Don't worry! I've got a spare in the back room."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A spare is an extra thing, such as a key, just in case it is needed."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-noun-UBxvAaM5",
      "raw_tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A spare is a tire that you keep in your car in case one of the other tires has a problem."
      ],
      "id": "simple-spare-en-noun-8~GO0s9Z",
      "raw_tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈspɛə(r)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/'speʳ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-spare.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spare"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spare",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spares",
      "tags": [
        "third-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spared",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spared",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "participle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sparing",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "participle"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "spar",
        "2": "e"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Excuse, me! Can you spare a few minutes to look at this?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Can you spare me twenty dollars till the weekend?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Sorry, man – I can't spare anything. I need it all for gas."
        },
        {
          "text": "I'm afraid we're too busy to spare anyone to help you right now."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare (somebody) something, you make it available even though you don't have much of it."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She had five minutes to spare before he was due to pick her up."
        },
        {
          "text": "Sorry, no time to spare! Got to go! Bye!"
        },
        {
          "text": "She could get it all inside with room to spare."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you have something to spare, you have something extra."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive",
        "infinitive only"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The phone rang, sparing me from having to give an answer."
        },
        {
          "text": "\"But for your information --;\" she lifted a silencing, hand. \"Spare me the details, will you?\""
        },
        {
          "text": "\"I'm so upset, I think I'm going to be sick.\" \"Oh, please! Spare me!\""
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare somebody something not nice, they don't have to experience it."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The accident took the life of his wife, but spared his son."
        },
        {
          "text": "Please, I beg you, spare him his life!"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If somebody is spared, they live, even though they were expected to die."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They spared no expense for their wedding."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare no expense, effort, detail, etc., you do everything you can."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare a thought for somebody, you think of them, usually at a time that you are happy, but they are not."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She never hid the truth to spare somebody's feelings."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you spare somebody's feelings, you try not to do or say things that will upset them."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈspɛə(r)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/'speʳ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-spare.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spare"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spare",
      "tags": [
        "positive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more spare",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most spare",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "more": "true"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Attributive modifiers"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The bags were in the small backseat because the spare tire filled most of the trunk."
        },
        {
          "text": "I've got a spare bedroom. You can stay there."
        },
        {
          "text": "It took a long time to find enough spare parts to put the car back together."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A spare part, room, key, etc. is an extra one, one that is not being used."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "usually before a noun"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He spends most of his spare time playing guitar with his friends."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Your spare time is time when you are not working and you can relax or have fun."
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I often find spare change lying on the floor."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Spare change is coins that are not worth much and that you can give away."
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The room was very spare, with only a window, a single chair, and a ceiling light."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If something is spare, it is plain and has no decoration."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A spare person is tall and thin."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈspɛə(r)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/'speʳ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-spare.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spare"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spare",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spares",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Countable nouns"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Don't worry! I've got a spare in the back room."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A spare is an extra thing, such as a key, just in case it is needed."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Countable nouns"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A spare is a tire that you keep in your car in case one of the other tires has a problem."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈspɛə(r)/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/'speʳ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-spare.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spare"
}

Download raw JSONL data for spare meaning in English (5.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-15 from the simplewiktionary dump dated 2025-02-02 using wiktextract (ca09fec and c40eb85). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.