outspent

A candidate outspent his opponent in the local election.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense of "outspend"):
   • To have spent more than someone else: "outspent" means to have paid out or used more money, resources, or time than another person, group, or entity.
   • To have exhausted one's resources: In a figurative sense, it can mean to have used up all one's energy or money, leaving one feeling depleted or worn out.

Usage Examples

• As a verb (past tense):

  • In the election campaign, the incumbent candidate outspent his opponent by millions of dollars. (He spent more money than the other candidate.)
  • The company outspent its rivals on research and development, leading to a superior product. (It spent more resources than its competitors.)

• As an adjective (archaic or rare, meaning "exhausted"):

  • After the long journey, the travelers were completely outspent, with no energy left to continue. (They were very tired and worn out.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be outspent": to have been exceeded in spending by someone else.

  • The charity was outspent by a larger organization in the fundraising drive. (The larger organization spent more money.)

• "to feel outspent": to experience a sense of exhaustion from excessive effort or expenditure.

  • After paying for the wedding and a new house, they felt financially outspent. (They had used up all their money.)

Variants and Related Words

• Outspend (verb, present tense): to spend more than.

  • If we want to win, we must outspend our competitors in advertising. (Spend more than them.)

• Outspending (present participle): the act of spending more than.

  • The government's outspending on defense has left other sectors underfunded. (The act of spending more.)

Synonyms

• Exceeded in spending: surpassed, outlaid more than.
• Exhausted: drained, depleted, worn out.

Phrasal Verbs

• (None directly related; "outspent" is a simple past tense verb.)

Related Idioms

• "Outspent and outgunned": to be at a disadvantage due to having fewer resources or less money.

  • The small startup felt outspent and outgunned by the corporate giant. (They had less money and fewer weapons or tools.)

• "Spent to the last penny": having used all one's money, similar to being outspent in a personal sense.

  • After the project, he was outspent and had to borrow from friends. (He had no money left.)