spare
refrain from harming
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,641 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 11,093 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.005% of every word in the library.
What it means
verb
- refrain from harming also: save
- save or relieve from an experience or action I'll spare you from having to apologize formally
- give up what is not strictly needed also: give up, part with, dispense with he asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey
- use frugally or carefully
adjective
- thin and fit also: trim the spare figure of a marathon runnera body kept trim by exercise
- more than is needed, desired, or required also: excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary trying to lose excess weightfound some extra change lying on the dresser
- not taken up by scheduled activities also: free a free hour between classesspare time on my hands
- kept in reserve especially for emergency use a reserve supply of fooda spare tire
spare in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
Oh spare, and plague thou me for her offences!
Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Phillis - Licia · Martha Foote [Editor] Crow · Chapter 1
-
But when night Closes round the ghastly fight, If the vanquished warrior bow, Spare him!
The Complete Poetical Works of Henry · Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Chapter 1
-
We had several spare yards, a spare topmast or two, and two or three large spars of wood.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures · Daniel Defoe · Chapter 1
-
Presently, he found that he had fifteen thousand dollars to spare for any small flutter that might take his fancy.
The Intrusion of Jimmy · P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse · Chapter 1
-
The Hunter was sorry for the poor old woman, and he felt in his pocket and gave her all he could spare.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1