spent
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
completely used up, tired, or having no energy left.
depleted of energy, force, or substance; physically or metaphorically exhausted.
Simple“After running the marathon, he felt completely spent and had to sit down.”
In context“By the end of the third round, the boxer appeared spent, his movements slowing as his opponent maintained a steady offensive.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
in the UK, a past crime that is no longer on your official record because enough time has passed.
referring to a criminal conviction that, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, is removed from a person's public record after a specified period.
Simple“He didn't have to tell his new boss about the crime because it was now a spent conviction.”
In context“The applicant was legally entitled to omit the details of his youth offences, as they were considered spent under current UK legislation.”
UsageUsually used in the phrase 'spent conviction'.
Teacher's tipThis is a specific legal term in British English; in American English, people usually say a record has been 'expunged'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
used to describe a law or rule that is finished and no longer has any power.
referring to legislation or an enactment that has ceased to have legal effect because its provisions have been fulfilled or have expired.
Simple“The old emergency laws are now spent and cannot be used by the police.”
In context“The statute was declared spent once the temporary administrative body it created had completed its final report and disbanded.”
Usage spent time · spent years · spent decades