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Glite Dictionary
spending spree

spending spree

6 3.6
A short time when someone buys many things without control
  • noun
  • /ˈspɛndɪŋ spriː/
translation icon : derroche
  • Don't go on a spending spree or increase your debt right before you file.

So like going on this proper spending spree while you're helpless to stop it.

Examples

  • California went on an unprecedented spending spree.

    Academic text (2010)

  • By the time the spending spree was over, the band was $50 million in debt.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Somebody has stolen my credit card and gone on an insane spending spree around New York.

    Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

  • Although she is still paying off student loans, she says it helped that she did not go on a spending spree when she graduated from law school.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Both political parties deserve blame for the spending spree that's put America in a fiscal ditch.

    Blog text (29)

  • During the boom years, Spain's regional governments went on a spending spree, building new universities and expanding campuses.

    Blog text (19)

  • After winning the lottery, she went on a spending spree at her favorite luxury stores.

  • He decided to treat himself to a spending spree after receiving a bonus at work.

  • The holiday season often prompts many people to embark on a spending spree for gifts and decorations.

Synonyms

shopping spree
vsspending spree
24 3.4

A short time when someone buys many things quickly and spends a lot of money

covers any rapid extravagant spending not limited to shopping
splurge
vsspending spree
  • Informal
8 6.9

A time when you spend a lot of money to treat yourself

is a short intense period rather than a single act
splurgy
vsspending spree
  • Informal
9.7

A short time when someone spends a lot of money on expensive or special things

is the same idea but emphasizes a short unrestrained period

Antonyms

saving
3.7

Careful about spending money and avoiding waste

How Extravagant

spending spree
6 3.6
splurge
  • Informal
8 6.9
treat
398 1.0

Surface Forms

spending spree singular
spending sprees plural

Morphology

spending + spree

The meaning 'a short period when someone spends a lot of money' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'spending' (the act of paying) with 'spree' (a brief episode of intense or excessive activity). This straightforward compositional noun+noun pattern is common across languages and follows normal English word-formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Spending spree paints a clear picture: spending means buying and spree means a short, wild burst of activity. So a spending spree means 'a short time of buying a lot of things, often quickly and without much care'.