What’s the past tense of “spend”?
Is it spend or spent? If you’ve ever wondered about the correct past tense of the verb spend, you’re not alone. Let’s break down the forms, usage, and common mistakes with spend and spent.
Present simple: I spend a lot of time reading.
Past participle (in the present perfect): She has already spent the money.
Incorrect: He spend an hour on homework yesterday.
Forms of the verb “spend”
The verb spend means “to use money, time, or energy for a particular purpose.” It’s an irregular verb, so its past tense and past participle forms are not made by simply adding -ed.
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I spend | I spent | I will spend |
| continuous | I am spending | I was spending | I will be spending |
| perfect | I have spent | I had spent | I will have spent |
| perfect continuous | I have been spending | I had been spending | I will have been spending |
Is “spend” a regular or irregular verb?
Spend is an irregular verb. Its past tense and past participle form is spent, not spended. Here’s a chart of similar irregular verbs:
Examples of “spend” and “spent” in sentences
| Verb form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Present (“spend”) |
I spend my weekends hiking. They spend a lot of money on travel. We spend time together every Friday. |
| Past (“spent”) |
She spent all her savings on a new car. We spent the afternoon at the park. He spent hours studying for the exam. |
| Past Participle (“spent”) |
The money has been spent. I have spent too much this month. All his energy was spent by the end of the race. |
Common phrases with “spend”
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| spend time | To use time doing something (“We love to spend time together.”) |
| spend money | To use money for something (“She spends money on books.”) |
| spend the night | To stay somewhere overnight (“He spent the night at a friend’s house.”) |
| spend oneself | To use up all of one’s energy (“He had spent himself after the marathon.”) |
| spend a fortune | To use a large amount of money (“They spent a fortune on their wedding.”) |
FAQs
A: The past tense of “spend” is “spent.”
A: No, “spended” is not a correct form. The correct past tense and past participle is “spent.”
A: No, “spend” is irregular. Its past tense and past participle are “spent.”
A: Yes, in some contexts, such as “a spent force” or “spent batteries.”
Sources
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“Spend, V. (1).” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2025, https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/186204.
Yash, D. "How to Use Spend or Spent (Explained, Examples & worksheet)." Grammarflex, Aug 9, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/spend-or-spent/.
