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spare

/spɛər/

/spɛə/

Other forms: spared; sparing; spares; sparest

Spare describes something that is extra. If you have a spare tire for your bike you can replace a flat, and if there's enough change in your pocket you can spare some to patch a friend's tire.

As a noun, a verb, and an adjective, the word spare has many meanings. A leftover part is a spare, you can spare a life when you save an animal or person, and you have spare time when you finish a project early. If you "spare no expense" you spend lots of money and when you spare a friend's feelings, you keep upsetting details to yourself. And if you have a moment to spare, you have time to share.

Definitions of spare
  1. adjective
    more than is needed, desired, or required
    “sleeping in the spare room”
    synonyms: excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary, surplus
    unnecessary, unneeded
    not necessary
  2. adjective
    not taken up by scheduled activities
    spare time on my hands”
    synonyms: free
    unoccupied
    not held or filled or in use
  3. adjective
    kept in reserve especially for emergency use
    “a spare tire”
    spare parts”
    Synonyms:
    unnecessary, unneeded
    not necessary
  4. noun
    an extra component of a machine or other apparatus
    synonyms: spare part
    see moresee less
    type of:
    component, constituent, element
    an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system
  5. noun
    an extra car wheel and tire for a four-wheel vehicle
    synonyms: fifth wheel
    see moresee less
    type of:
    car wheel
    a wheel that has a tire and rim and hubcap; used to propel the car
  6. verb
    give up what is not strictly needed
    “he asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey”
    synonyms: dispense with, give up, part with
    see moresee less
    type of:
    give
    transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
  7. verb
    use frugally or carefully
    see moresee less
    type of:
    expend, use
    use up or consume fully
  8. adjective
    lacking in amplitude or quantity
    “a spare diet”
    synonyms: bare, scanty
    meager, meagerly, meagre, scrimpy, stingy
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
  9. adjective
    lacking embellishment or ornamentation
    synonyms: bare, plain, unembellished, unornamented
    unadorned, undecorated
    not decorated with something to increase its beauty or distinction
  10. adjective
    thin and fit
    “the spare figure of a marathon runner”
    synonyms: trim
    lean, thin
    lacking excess flesh
  11. verb
    refrain from harming
    synonyms: save
    see moresee less
    types:
    favor, favour
    treat gently or carefully
    type of:
    forbear, refrain
    resist doing something
  12. verb
    save or relieve from an experience or action
    “I'll spare you from having to apologize formally”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    exempt, free, relieve
    grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to
  13. noun
    a score in tenpins; knocking down all ten after rolling two balls
    see moresee less
    type of:
    score
    the act of scoring in a game or sport
Pronunciation
US

/spɛər/

UK

/spɛə/

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘spare'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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