What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
spend
Example
I spent all my money on groceries. [spend: verb]
Example
She spent hours studying for the exam. [spent: past tense]
Example
We spent a lot of energy on the project. [spend: verb]
consume
Example
The car consumes a lot of gas. [consume: verb]
Example
He consumed the entire book in one sitting. [consumed: past tense]
Example
She consumed too much of her day scrolling through social media. [consume: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Spend is more commonly used than consume in everyday language. Spend is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while consume is more limited in scope and is typically used in more specific situations.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between spend and consume?
Both spend and consume can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but spend is generally considered more formal than consume due to its association with financial transactions and business language.
