to spend oneself

USAGE SUMMARY

"to spend oneself" is a valid expression in written English.
It can be used to refer to expending energy or resources, usually for a purpose or cause. For example, "They spent themselves to help those in need."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich". What a lovely sentiment, I thought, but what exactly does it mean?

HuffPost

To spend an evening by oneself is to admit social defeat à la Bridget Jones.

Independent

The time spent on physical therapy meant not only an interruption in the daily activities and could be experienced as frustrating, but also as an opportunity to spend time and focus on oneself.

Disability and Rehabilitation

The fact that people who were assigned to spend money on others ended up happier than people who were assigned to spend money on themselves allows us to draw the causal conclusion that spending on others causes greater happiness than spending on oneself.

The New York Times

We asked the participants in the control group to commit to spending the money on themselves; examples included taking oneself out to dinner or buying oneself a present.

Nature

Not a mega-store like Barnes & Noble, but a boutique that specializes in a genre of publishing, a store in which one may develop a close personal relationship with treasured volumes, a place to visit regularly and spend hours immersing oneself in a book.

Los Angeles Times

To drop, to rebound, to lift, to suspend oneself.

The New Yorker

So the lesson is, knowing such things doesn't really have a use and it's a waste of time to focus on them, that time could be much better spent developing oneself.

Huffington Post

"And how to be true to oneself, resist corruption".

The New York Times - Arts

These included undertaking activities to divert oneself (walking, reading, watching TV, spending time with friends, working, joining community activities), asking advice from others (friends, pastor) and turning to God.

BMJ Open

It gives me pause to contemplate the long-term effect of spending years alone, talking to oneself in a padded windowless room.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to spend oneself" when you want to emphasize the act of dedicating your energy or resources fully to a cause or activity. Ensure the context supports the notion of self-expenditure for a greater purpose.

Common error

Avoid using "to spend oneself" when simply describing effort. This phrase suggests a profound level of dedication and personal investment, so use it only when the context genuinely reflects that intensity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to spend oneself" functions as an infinitive phrase, often acting as an adverbial modifier to express purpose or manner. Ludwig AI indicates its validity in written English, signifying its role in conveying commitment and dedication.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to spend oneself" signifies a profound dedication and commitment of one's energy or resources to a particular cause. While grammatically correct, it appears less frequently in common usage, as confirmed by Ludwig. Its communicative purpose is to highlight complete devotion, often implying a willingness to expend significant personal resources. The phrase's register is generally neutral, suitable for various contexts but requiring careful consideration of the depth of commitment it conveys. When selecting alternatives, consider whether the context requires emphasis on dedication ("to dedicate oneself") or potential sacrifice ("to exhaust oneself") for the closest semantic match.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to dedicate oneself

Focuses on committing oneself fully to a cause or activity, emphasizing dedication rather than expenditure of resources.

to devote oneself

Similar to dedicate, but implies a more profound and often selfless commitment.

to give oneself over to

Suggests surrendering to an experience or emotion completely, lacking the sense of purpose found in the original phrase.

to apply oneself

Highlights focused effort and diligence towards achieving a specific goal, differing from general expenditure.

to exert oneself

Emphasizes physical or mental effort expended, removing the element of self-sacrifice or dedication.

to throw oneself into

Indicates enthusiastic engagement in an activity, differing from calculated expenditure.

to immerse oneself

Focuses on deep involvement in an activity or environment, losing the connotation of sacrifice.

to lose oneself in

Implies complete absorption in something, often to the point of forgetting oneself, moving away from the dedication implied by the query.

to sacrifice oneself

Highlights the act of giving up something valuable for a cause, adding a dimension of loss not present in the original phrase.

to exhaust oneself

Focuses on depletion of energy, diverging from the potential positive connotation of purposeful expenditure.

FAQs

What does "to spend oneself" mean?

The expression "to spend oneself" means to fully dedicate one's energy, resources, or abilities to a particular cause or activity, often implying a degree of self-sacrifice or complete commitment.

When is it appropriate to use "to spend oneself"?

It is appropriate when describing a situation where someone is wholeheartedly dedicating themselves to something, potentially to the point of personal exhaustion or sacrifice. Consider using phrases like "to dedicate oneself" or "to devote oneself" if the context does not imply sacrifice.

What are some alternatives to "to spend oneself"?

Depending on the nuance you want to convey, you could use phrases like "to dedicate oneself", "to devote oneself", or "to apply oneself". Each carries a slightly different implication regarding the level and nature of commitment.

How does "to spend oneself" differ from "to exhaust oneself"?

"To spend oneself" implies a purposeful and often positive dedication of one's resources, while "to exhaust oneself" focuses solely on the depletion of energy, often with negative connotations. The former suggests a conscious choice to invest oneself, while the latter indicates a loss of energy, possibly involuntarily.