VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

expire

verb·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɪkˈspaɪər/
US/ɪkˈspaɪɚ/

Meanings

  1. verbintransitive

    To reach the end of the period during which something, such as a ticket or document, is valid.

    Grammar: Takes no object: my passport expires next year.

    Patterns

    • something expires on date
    • something expires in time

    My driver's license expires next month.

    The coupon expired yesterday, so the shop refused it.

    The contract expires at the end of June.

  2. verbintransitiveformal

    To come to an end, as a period of time or an agreement.

    Grammar: No object; used for time periods and deals.

    Patterns

    • something expires

    The lease will expire in March.

    When the ceasefire expired, fighting resumed.

    The offer expires when the clock strikes midnight.

  3. verbintransitiveliteraryformal

    To die, especially quietly.

    Grammar: No object; gentle and formal.

    The old king expired peacefully in his sleep.

    The patient expired shortly after midnight.

    The hero expired in his friend's arms.

  4. verbtransitive or intransitivemedical

    To breathe out air from the lungs.

    Grammar: Medical usage; the opposite is inspire in this sense.

    Patterns

    • expire air

    The nurse asked her to expire slowly.

    Air is expired through the nose or mouth.

    The device measures how much air a patient can expire.

Word forms

third person singularexpires
past tenseexpired
past participleexpired
-ing formexpiring

Common combinations

expire soon
Your subscription will expire soon.
expire on a date
The warranty expires on December 31.
about to expire
My visa is about to expire.
expire without notice
The offer may expire without notice.
expire at midnight
The deadline expires at midnight.

Synonyms and how they differ

run out
Run out is the casual phrasal verb and works for supplies as well as dates.
lapse
Lapse suggests a right or membership ended because it was not renewed.
end
End is the plainest word and has no sense of a set time limit.
pass away
Pass away is a gentle everyday way to say die, while expire is more formal.

Opposites

renewbegin

Word family

expiry noun
British word for the end of a validity period
expiration noun
the end of a validity period, especially in American English
expired adjective
no longer valid or usable
expiratory adjective
relating to breathing out

Commonly confused: expire or inspire?

expire vs inspire

Inspire means to fill with the urge to do something, or to breathe in. Expire is the opposite direction in breathing and has nothing to do with encouragement.

Practice

Which sentence uses expire correctly?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “expire”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words