spare
/speə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /sper/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsper/ (ame, mw) · /speər/ (bre, ipa)
spare — adjective
- sparepositive
- sparercomparative
- sparestsuperlative
1. available to be used because it exists in addition to what is normally needed, o
available to be used because it exists in addition to what is normally needed, or because no one is using it at the moment.
Charlotte keeps a spare umbrella in her office for rainy days.
collocation: spare umbrella / spare key / spare room
The hotel had a spare room, so the traveller booked it for one more night.
Do you happen to have a spare pen I could borrow for the exam?
Quan always carries a spare phone charger in his backpack when travelling.
There are three spare chairs in the storage room we can use for the party.
- extra
more neutral and more common than 'spare' for quantities
- additional
more formal; focuses on being added rather than leftover
- surplus
formal; suggests more than is actually needed
- insufficient
formal; describes a shortage rather than an excess
2. describes periods when a person is free from work or obligations and can choose
describes periods when a person is free from work or obligations and can choose what to do.
In her spare time, Élise enjoys painting landscapes and portraits.
fixed phrase: in [possessive] spare time
Christopher spends most of his spare time reading fantasy novels at the library.
Layla uses her spare time on weekends to learn how to cook Thai food.
The nurses have very little spare time because they work twelve-hour shifts.
Allison filled her spare hours with volunteer work at the animal shelter.
- busy
describes a period filled with work or activity
用法筆記
Always modifies a time-related noun (time, hours, moments, minutes). Not used alone — you would not say 'I am spare today' to mean 'I am free.'
常見錯誤
3. having a thin, lean body, often tall and with a build that looks healthy rather
having a thin, lean body, often tall and with a build that looks healthy rather than weak.
Rin's spare figure made the jacket hang loosely on her shoulders.
The spare frame of the old farmer moved gracefully across the field.
Jude had a spare build that helped him run the marathon in under four hours.
Zola's spare arms stretched up easily to reach the books on the top shelf.
- stocky
describes a short, solid, heavy build
用法筆記
This sense is more common in descriptive writing than in everyday conversation. 'Lean' or 'slim' are more frequent alternatives in spoken English.
4. having a simple style with very little decoration, detail, or extra elements.
having a simple style with very little decoration, detail, or extra elements.
The spare white walls of the gallery gave the paintings more attention.
Defne prefers a spare style of furniture with clean, straight lines.
collocation: spare style
The artist's spare drawings use only a few black lines on white paper.
Nellie decorated the apartment in a spare, modern style she found online.
- plain
more common; can describe anything without decoration
- minimalist
modern; describes a deliberate design choice using very few elements
- austere
formal; can suggest uncomfortably severe simplicity
- ornate
describes something with a lot of decoration and detail
用法筆記
Common in descriptions of art, design, and architecture. Usually carries a positive connotation of elegant simplicity rather than bareness.
spare — verb
- sparepresent simple I / you / we / they
- spares3rd person singular
- sparing-ing form
- sparedpast simple
1. to choose not to injure, punish, or destroy someone or something when you have t
to choose not to injure, punish, or destroy someone or something when you have the power or opportunity to do so.
The king spared the prisoner's life after hearing his final request.
passive possible: be spared by
During the fire, the flames spared the old oak tree in the garden.
The judge spared the young driver a prison sentence because it was his first offence.
The soldiers spared the village and moved on without causing any damage.
The floods spared the school but destroyed several houses nearby.
- pardon
similar but only for punishment, not for destruction
- forgive
focuses on letting go of anger rather than refraining from action
- show mercy to
more descriptive; emphasises compassion
文法句型
spare + noun
spare + noun + from
用法筆記
Often used in contexts of warfare, justice, or disasters. The double-object construction (spare someone something) is very common here, e.g. 'spare him the details.'
常見錯誤
2. to keep someone from enduring a hard, painful, or embarrassing event that would
to keep someone from enduring a hard, painful, or embarrassing event that would otherwise happen.
Ritu spared her little brother the trouble of waiting in the rain.
pattern: spare [person] the [unpleasant thing]
The teacher spared the class the long summary of the boring report.
Christopher's quick thinking spared everyone a long delay at the airport.
Charlotte spared her parents the worry by calling them right away.
The neighbours spared us the trouble of cooking by bringing dinner over.
- subject to
means to cause someone to experience something unpleasant
文法句型
spare + someone + noun
spare + someone + gerund
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'the trouble of', 'the details of', 'the need to' or abstract nouns like 'worry', 'embarrassment', 'effort'.
常見錯誤
3. to use as much effort, money, or other resources as needed to achieve something,
to use as much effort, money, or other resources as needed to achieve something, without limiting yourself.
The team spared no effort in preparing the garden for the annual competition.
fixed expression: spare no effort/expense
Sivan's parents spared no expense when planning the wedding reception.
The hospital spared no resources to save the injured child in the emergency room.
Christopher spared no effort to make sure every guest felt welcome at the party.
- give one's all
informal; focuses on personal energy rather than money
文法句型
spare no + effort/expense/pains
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the fixed pattern 'spare no + noun'. The noun is typically an uncountable abstract resource (effort, expense, cost, trouble, pains).
常見錯誤
4. to put all of your energy into what you are doing, without considering your own
to put all of your energy into what you are doing, without considering your own comfort, limits, or well-being.
Nurse Yasmin never spared herself during the long night shifts at the hospital.
fixed expression: not spare oneself
The coach did not spare himself while training the team for the final match.
Antonia did not spare herself while caring for her sick mother at home.
The volunteers spared neither time nor effort when the flood hit the town.
- give everything
less formal; has the same meaning of full commitment
- hold back
means to deliberately use less effort than you could
文法句型
not spare + oneself
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the negative: 'not spare oneself' or 'spare no effort on oneself'. The positive form ('spare oneself') would mean to hold back, which is rare.
常見錯誤
5. to give someone something such as time, money, food, or space, especially when y
to give someone something such as time, money, food, or space, especially when you do not have a lot of it yourself.
Could you spare me five minutes to talk about the project proposal?
common polite request: spare + me + time
Mateo spared some money from his salary to help his cousin pay rent.
Rachel spared a seat on the bus for the elderly woman with a walking stick.
The neighbours spared some food for the family whose kitchen had burned down.
Noa spared a moment to sign the birthday card before running out of the door.
文法句型
spare + someone + something
spare + something + for + someone
用法筆記
Common in polite requests ('Can you spare a moment?', 'Could you spare me some change?'). The object can be the thing given (direct) or the recipient (indirect) in the double-object pattern.
常見錯誤
6. to take a moment to think about a person who faces hardship, as a way of express
to take a moment to think about a person who faces hardship, as a way of expressing compassion or concern.
Please spare a thought for the nurses working through the holiday weekend.
fixed expression: spare a thought for
Rin spared a thought for her friend who was taking the difficult exam that morning.
As you enjoy your dinner, spare a thought for the farmers who grew the food.
Layla spared a thought for the homeless animals on the cold winter night.
Sana asked everyone to spare a thought for the families who lost their homes.
- think of
more general; 'spare a thought for' implies an extra effort to remember someone in difficulty
文法句型
spare + a thought + for + noun
用法筆記
Used in the fixed expression 'spare a thought for + someone'. It is a set phrase and does not take alternative wordings like 'spare thoughts for' or 'spare some thought'.
常見錯誤
7. left after you have used what you need; still available after everything necessa
left after you have used what you need; still available after everything necessary has been dealt with.
We finished the project with two days to spare before the deadline arrived.
pattern: with [amount] to spare
Jude had ten minutes to spare, so he stopped for a coffee on the way.
The train arrived at the station with just enough time to spare.
After paying all the bills, she had very little money to spare that month.
- short of
means not having enough
文法句型
have + noun phrase + to spare
用法筆記
This sense only works in the pattern 'have [noun phrase] to spare' or 'with [noun phrase] to spare'. The phrase always follows the noun it describes — you cannot reorder it to 'spare time' (which would be the adjective sense).
常見錯誤
spare — noun
- sparesingular
- sparesplural
1. an extra copy or piece of something that you keep so that you can use it when th
an extra copy or piece of something that you keep so that you can use it when the original one is lost, broken, or worn out.
Hoa keeps a spare of her house key at her sister's apartment across town.
collocation: keep a spare
The mechanic checked the car's spares before the long road trip began.
plural: spares
Quan always carries a spare for his glasses in case the frame breaks.
The shop at the corner sells spares for most kitchen appliances and tools.
用法筆記
Often used as a countable noun. In British English, 'spare' alone can refer to any spare item, while in American English 'spare part' is more common for mechanical items.
2. a new component that replaces an old, broken, or worn-out part in a vehicle, mac
a new component that replaces an old, broken, or worn-out part in a vehicle, machine, or piece of equipment.
The garage orders spare parts directly from the car manufacturer in Germany.
collocation: spare parts
Charlotte bought a spare for her bike's broken chain at the local shop.
The factory stores spare parts for all its machines in the basement room.
Yasmin could not find a spare for the old washing machine motor anywhere.
- replacement part
more formal; used in technical documentation
- component
formal; any part of a machine, not necessarily a spare
用法筆記
Primarily used in the context of vehicles, machinery, and electronics. 'Spare part' is more explicit than 'spare' and preferred in technical or commercial contexts.