Understanding & using the Verb & Adjective ‘SPARE’
The word “spare” has a central meaning that unites both its verb and adjective uses:
👉 “Surplus to current requirements” / “Extra to my actual needs” / “More than enough.”
This idea of something left over, available, unused or unnecessary is key to understanding why Prince Harry Windsor titled his autobiography “Spare.” In aristocratic families, there’s a well-known saying:
📌 “Always have an Heir and a Spare.”
This means that the firstborn son is the heir to titles and responsibilities, while a second son (the “spare”) is seen as an extra, only needed in case something happens to the heir. Prince Harry, as the second son, used “Spare” to reflect his role as someone who was ‘available if needed’ in the royal hierarchy.
🔹 Section 1: “To Spare” as a Verb
Regular verb: To Spare – Spared – Spared
As a verb, “spare” often means to give something that you have extra of—usually time, money, or effort. It often collocates with “can” and “can’t”, meaning that we either have or don’t have the extra resources to give.
✅ Common Sentence Structures with “Spare” (Verb)
1️⃣ Can you spare [something]? → Used to request something.
- Can you spare me €10? (= Do you have an extra €10 that you can give me?)
- Can you spare the time to help me? (= Do you have extra time to help?)
2️⃣ I’m sorry, I can’t spare [something] at the moment. → Refusing a request.
- I’m sorry, I can’t spare you the time right now. (= I don’t have extra time.)
Note: To spare used as an infinitive:
With time to spare
- I arrived at the airport with time to spare (= I arrived early and so had plenty of time before my flight)
To have something to spare
- He has charisma to spare (= He has plenty of charisma / he doesn’t lack charisma)
3️⃣ To spare someone from something → To prevent someone from experiencing something unpleasant.
- I’ll spare you the details. (= I won’t tell you because it might be too much / too boring.)
- She spared me from making a big mistake. (= She prevented me from making the mistake. NB, ‘she stopped me from making a mistake’ is more common.)
4️⃣ To spare no effort/expense → To do something without holding back / without limit.
- They spared no expense on their wedding. (= They spent a lot of money / they didn’t worry about the expense.)
- He spared no effort in his studies. (= He worked extremely hard.)
🔹 Section 2: “Spare” as an Adjective
As an adjective, “spare” refers to something extra or available beyond what is necessary. It is often used to describe objects, space, or time.
✅ Common Collocations with “Spare” (Adjective)
🕒 Spare time → Free time
- What do you do in your spare time? (= In your free time?)
🚗 Spare wheel (or spare tire in US English) → An extra wheel in your car in case of a puncture.
- I had a flat tire, but luckily, I had a spare wheel in the trunk.
🏠 Spare room → An extra room in a house with no set use.
- We have a spare room, so you’re welcome to stay over.
👕 Spare clothes → Extra clothes, often carried for emergencies.
- You should pack some spare clothes in case it rains.
🔋 Spare battery → An extra battery.
- Do you have a spare battery for my phone?
🎟 Spare ticket → An extra ticket for an event.
- I have a spare ticket to the concert. Do you want to come?
👓 Spare glasses → A second pair of glasses in case of loss/damage.
- I always carry a pair of spare glasses when I travel.
💰 Spare change → The coins you have in your pocket or purse that you can give away/use for small purchases
- Do you have any spare change for the vending machine?
Key Takeaways
✔ “Spare” means “extra” or “available” beyond what is necessary.
✔ As a verb, it usually collocates with “can” or “can’t” and means to give something extra or prevent someone from something negative.
✔ As an adjective, it describes something extra, free, or available for use.
Let’s see what you remember. Do the quiz
Press Submit to check your answers—correct ones turn green, incorrect ones pink. Fix mistakes and submit again until all are green! ✅
Spare Quiz