Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Extra or additional; kept in reserve: Not currently in use and available for future or emergency needs.
   • Not lavish or abundant; meager: Characterized by simplicity, frugality, or a lack of excess.
   • Lean; thin: Having a thin or slender physical build.
   • Free; unoccupied: Not filled with scheduled or required activities.

2. Noun:

   • An extra item: A duplicate or replacement item kept for future use, especially a tire for a vehicle.
   • A successful outcome in bowling: In tenpin bowling, the act of knocking down all ten pins with two rolls of the ball.

3. Verb:

   • To refrain from harming or destroying: To show mercy or leniency by not punishing, killing, or destroying.
   • To give or afford without inconvenience or loss: To be able to give something (time, money, an object) because one has more than enough.
   • To use frugally or avoid using: To be economical or stingy in the use of something.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Do you have a spare key for the house?
  • He leads a spare lifestyle with few possessions.
  • The marathon runner has a spare frame.
  • What do you do in your spare time?

• Noun:

  • I had a flat tire, so I put on the spare.
  • He bowled a spare in the final frame.

• Verb:

  • The king decided to spare the prisoner's life.
  • Can you spare a few minutes to talk?
  • Please spare no effort in completing this project.

Advanced Usage

• "to spare" (following a noun phrase): meaning "extra" or "remaining."
  • We arrived at the station with time to spare.
• "spare someone the details": to avoid telling someone unpleasant or unnecessary information.
  • I'll spare you the details of the accident; it was too gruesome.
• "spare a thought for": to think about someone, especially someone in a difficult situation.
  • Let's spare a thought for those who are less fortunate.

Variants and Related Words

• Sparely (adverb): In a sparse, frugal, or meager manner.
  • The room was furnished sparely.
• Spareness (noun): The quality of being sparse, lean, or meager.
  • The spareness of the landscape was beautiful.

Synonyms

• Adjective: extra, additional, surplus, reserve, meager, frugal, lean, thin, free.
• Verb: save, pardon, forgive, afford, give, part with.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Spare from: To prevent someone from having to experience something unpleasant.
  • The new software spared the team from hours of manual work.

Related Idioms

• Spare the rod, spoil the child: A saying meaning that if you fail to discipline a child, you will spoil their character.
• Enough and to spare: More than enough; an abundance.
  • We have food enough and to spare for the party.

Adjective

1. lacking embellishment or ornamentation
   • a plain hair style
   • unembellished white walls
   • functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete
2. lacking in amplitude or quantity
   • a bare livelihood
   • a scanty harvest
   • a spare diet
3. kept in reserve especially for emergency use
   • a reserve supply of food
   • a spare tire
   • spare parts
4. not taken up by scheduled activities
   • a free hour between classes
   • spare time on my hands
5. more than is needed, desired, or required
   • trying to lose excess weight
   • found some extra change lying on the dresser
   • yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant
   • skills made redundant by technological advance
   • sleeping in the spare room
   • supernumerary ornamentation
   • it was supererogatory of her to gloat
   • delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words
   • extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts
   • surplus cheese distributed to the needy
6. thin and fit
   • the spare figure of a marathon runner
   • a body kept trim by exercise

Noun

1. a score in tenpins; knocking down all ten after rolling two balls
2. an extra car wheel and tire for a four-wheel vehicle
3. an extra component of a machine or other apparatus

Verb

1. use frugally or carefully
2. give up what is not strictly needed
   • he asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey
3. save or relieve from an experience or action
   • I'll spare you from having to apologize formally
4. refrain from harming