Many verbs have different meanings, however this section deals with verbs and phrasal verbs connected with money. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
At least one irregular verb in bold is shown in all its forms.
Verbs
| The Verb (infinitive form) | The Meaning | An example ( Simple Past Tense) |
Regular /Irregular |
|---|---|---|---|
| To borrow |
To get or receive something from someone (often money) with the intention of giving it back after a period of time. |
I borrowed your bike last week? | Regular |
To buy |
To obtain something by paying money for it. | I bought a lot of wine for the party. | Irregular |
| To earn | To receive money as payment for work that you do. |
He earnt a decent wage before he retired. | Irregular |
| To lend |
To give something to someone for a short period of time, expecting it to be given back. | She lent me her book. | Irregular |
| To pay |
To give money to someone for something you want to buy or for services provided. | I wasn't paid enough. | Irregular |
| To save | To keep something, especially money, for use in the future. | I saved for my pension. | Regular |
To spend |
To give money as a payment for something: | I spent all my savings on this web site. | Irregular |
Phrasal Verbs
| The Phrasal Verb | The Meaning | An example ( Simple Past Tense) |
S=Separable I=Inseparable |
|---|---|---|---|
| To buy sb off |
To pay someone so that they do not cause you any trouble. | The company thought they had bought him off but he took them to court and won. | S |
| To buy sb out |
To buy a part of a company or building from someone else so that you own all of it. |
They bought their competitor's share in the target company. | S |
| To buy sth up | To buy large amounts of something, or all that is available. |
He bought up all the land in the surrounding area. | S |
| To cash in on sth |
To get money or another advantage from an event or situation, often in an unfair way. | A lot of people are trying to cash in on the situation. | I |
| To cash up | To count all the money taken by a shop or business at the end of each day. |
She cashed up when the shop closed. | S |
| To pay sth off | To pay back money that you owe. |
We paid off our mortgage after 25 years. | S |
| To pay (sth) out | To spend money on something, or to pay money to someone. |
I paid out £500 to get the computer fixed. | S |
| To pay up |
To give someone the money that you owe them, especially when you do not want to. | If he doesn't pay up, I'll throw him out. It's as simple as that. | S |
| To save (sth) on sth |
To avoid using something [e.g. electricity, food] so that you do not have to pay for it | He used to go to bed very early to save on his electricity bills. |
S |