spare
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- extra, additional, free, leftover, odd, over, superfluous, surplus, unoccupied, unused, unwanted
- thin, gaunt, lean, meagre, wiry
[verb]
Synonyms:
- have mercy on, be merciful to, go easy on (informal), leave, let off (informal), pardon, save from
- afford, do without, give, grant, let (someone) have, manage without, part with

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Antonyms: corpulent, profuse
Related Idioms: enough and to spare, more than enough
Related Words: pinch

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English Thesaurus: available, free, vacant, spare, empty, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. spare¹ S2 /speə $ sper/ adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: spær]

1. EXTRA spare key/battery/clothes etc a key etc that you keep in addition to the one you usually use, so that it is available if the one you usually use breaks, gets lost etc:
a spare key
Bring a towel and some spare clothes.
a supply of spare batteries
a spare tyre

2. NOT USED/NEEDED [usually before noun] not being used or not needed at the present time:
Have you got any spare boxes?
You could sleep in the spare bedroom.
Do you have any spare cash?
I’ll go and see if there are any spare seats.
A decline in beer sales had left the industry with spare capacity (=the ability to produce more than can be sold).

3. TIMEspare time/moment/hour etc time when you are not working:
What do you do in your spare time?
Eric spent every spare moment he had in the library.

4. MONEY spare change coins of little value that you do not need and can give to other people:
There are beggars on every corner asking for spare change.

5. be going spare British English spoken if something is going spare, it is available for you to have or use:
I’ll have some of that cake if it’s going spare.

6. go spare British English informal to become very angry or worried:
Dad would go spare if he found out.

7. PLAIN a spare style of writing, painting etc is plain or basic and uses nothing unnecessary

8. THIN literary someone who is spare is tall and thin

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. spare² S3 verb [transitive]
[Language: Old English; Origin: sparian]

1. GIVE to make something such as time, money, or workers available for someone, especially when this is difficult for you to do:
Sorry, I can’t spare the time.
I’d like you to come over when you can spare a couple of hours.
Can you spare £5?
spare somebody/something to do something
We’re too busy to spare anyone to help you right now.
spare somebody ten minutes/an hour etc
Could you possibly spare me a few moments in private (=used to ask someone if they have time to quickly talk to you)?
It’s very kind of you to spare me so much of your time.

2. money/time etc to spare if you have money, time etc to spare, you have some left in addition to what you have used or need:
Anyone who has time to spare and would like to help can contact Moira.
with something to spare
They got to the airport with seconds to spare.
They still have some money to spare.

3. spare somebody the trouble/difficulty/pain etc (of doing something) to prevent someone from having to experience something difficult or unpleasant:
I wanted to spare them the trouble of buying me a present.
Thankfully, she had been spared the ordeal of surgery.

4. NOT DAMAGE OR HARM to not damage or harm someone or something, even though other people or things are being damaged, killed, or destroyed:
I could not understand why I had been spared and they had not.
the soldier who had spared his life
spare somebody/something from something
Today we will hear whether the school is to be spared from closure.

5. spare a thought for somebody to think about another person who is in a worse situation than you are:
Spare a thought for Nick, who’s doing his exams right now.

6. spare no expense/effort to spend as much money or do everything necessary to make something really good or successful
spare no expense/effort to do something
No expense was spared in developing the necessary technology.
No effort will be spared to bring the people responsible to justice.

7. spare somebody (the details) to not tell someone all the details about something, because it is unpleasant or boring:
He spared us the details, saying only that he had been injured in the war.
‘They own three houses. One in the country, one in ...’ ‘Spare me.’

8. spare sb’s feelings to avoid doing something that would upset someone:
Just tell me the truth. Don’t worry about sparing my feelings.

9. spare a glance British English written to look quickly at someone or something
spare a glance at
Before leaving the old town, spare another glance at the tower.
spare somebody/something a glance
a bored waitress who scarcely spared them a glance

10. spare sb’s blushes British English to avoid doing something that would embarrass someone

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. spare³ noun

1. [countable] an additional thing, for example a key, that you keep so that it is available:
If you forget the key, Mrs Jones over the road has a spare.
The batteries are dead. Have you got any spares?

2. [countable] a spare tyre

3. spares [plural] British English spare parts
motor/car/aircraft etc spares
a shortage of aircraft spares

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

spare
verb
ADV. barely, hardly, scarcely She hardly spared him a second glance.
VERB + SPARE can/could
PREP. for Can you spare some money for the homeless?
PHRASES to spare Have you any money to spare? We should get there with half an hour to spare.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

available if something is available, you can buy it, get it, or use it:
Are there any tickets still available for Saturday?
There’s no room for more books – we’ve used up all the available space.
free if a seat or room is free, it is not being used by anyone:
Excuse me, is this seat free?
The hotel never has any free rooms over the Christmas period.
vacant if a house or room is vacant, it is available for someone to use or rent:
If you’re looking for somewhere to rent, I think there’s a vacant apartment in my building.
I’ll ask around and see if there’s a room vacant somewhere.
The sign on the toilet said ‘vacant’.
spare a spare room, key, tyre etc is one that you have in addition to the ones that you normally use, and is therefore available to be used:
We have a spare room you can stay in.
There’s a spare key in this drawer.
I got the spare tyre out of the back of the car.
empty an empty room, building etc has no one in it:
The house was empty for two months before it was sold.
They have three empty rooms now that the kids have moved out.
on offer if something is on offer, it is available for people to choose from:
There is a huge network of cycle tracks on offer.
Other facilities on offer in this excellent hotel include a hairdressing salon, a coffee shop, and a children's play room.
the variety of delicious fruits on offer
taken [not before noun] if a seat or room is taken, it is not available for other people to use, because someone has already arranged to use it:
I’m sorry – that seat is taken.
I’m afraid all our rooms are taken at the moment.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

extra in addition to the usual or standard cost, time, amount etc:
They let the kids stay up an extra hour.
Some stores charge extra for delivery.
Postage is extra.
additional [only before noun] more than the basic amount or the amount that you expected or agreed. Additional is more formal than extra:
An evening job would provide additional income.
There may be an additonal charge for paying bills by credit card.
added [only before noun ] extra – used when talking about something that makes something better or more effective:
an added benefit
an added precaution
It was a beautiful place, and the good weather was an added bonus.
Use a sunscreen for added protection.
spare [only before noun] kept in addition to the one you usually use, so that it is available if the one you usually use breaks, gets lost etc:
a spare key
a spare tyre
a spare set of clothes
actor someone who performs in a play or film:
Her son wants to be an actor.
Both my parents are actors.
actress a woman who performs in a play or film. Many women prefer to be called actors rather than actresses:
Who was the actress who played Jane Eyre?
She’s one of my favourite actresses.
star a famous actor:
Julia Roberts is a famous Hollywood star.
The hotel is popular with movie stars.
the star someone who plays the most important part in a play or film:
Daniel Radcliffe is the star of the ‘Harry Potter’ films.
co-star one of two or more famous actors who have important parts in a play or film:
Her co-star Jodie Foster won the Best Actress Award.
the lead the main acting part in a play or film:
He will play the lead in a new version of ‘Dracula’.
understudy an actor who learns a part in a play so that they can act the part if the usual actor is ill:
Vanessa had flu, and her place was taken by her understudy, Miss Lisa Fennell.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

spare
to exempt someone from having to listen to or express something
I wish that our teacher would spare us her speeches about her difficult childhood.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

spare something
to exempt someone from having to listen to or express something
I wish that our teacher would spare us her speeches about her difficult childhood.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲