Ex\S-pend

I'm guessing those words just overlap, and it's just customary to use one or the other depending on the situation. We never hear of one expending money, but rather spending money. We never hear of one spending effort, but expending effort.

Maybe someone else has a better rule. Or maybe you can provide some tricky examples and we can try to distinguish.

Tim

Hi,

To me, 'expend' has more of a sense of 'use up'.

'I expended all my energy' sounds more natural and also more extreme than 'I spent all my energy'.

Although we 'spend' money, we do speak of our 'expenditures'. Perhaps this also sounds a bit more serious than just 'spending money'.

Best wishes, Clive

Let me know if I'm wrong but I have a vibe that spend refers to something more materialistic like money or assets, and expend refers to spiritual things like effort, enrgy, time...What do you think?

Another nuance: the correct prep. to use with either one of them is "on" like in 'expend energy on a project..." right?

Thanks

Hi,

Hmmm, well, you spend time ...(of course, we also say 'time is money'!)

Best wishes, Clive