Meanings
verbgo spare (third-person singular simple present goes spare, present participle going spare, simple past went spare, past participle gone spare)
present singular third person goes spare · participle present going spare · past went spare · participle past gone spare
- To be available or unused.
There's some bacon going spare if anyone wants some more.
- UKinformalTo become very angry; to become frustrated or distraught: see spare.
When he found out that someone had broken the window, he went spare.
1 more example
The poor girl is going spare, stuck in the house all day with the kids like that.
- archaicTo be unemployed.
Translations
Finnish olla tarjolla, turhautua
- olla tarjollato be available
- turhautuato become mad (crazy, frustrated or distressed)
- kyllästyäto become mad (crazy, frustrated or distressed)
German die Fassung verlieren, die Beherrschung verlieren
- die Fassung verlierento become mad (crazy, frustrated or distressed)
- die Beherrschung verlierento become mad (crazy, frustrated or distressed)
- sich ärgernto become mad (crazy, frustrated or distressed)
Italian perdere le staffe
- perdere le staffeto become mad (crazy, frustrated or distressed)
Cite this entry
APA
go spare. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20spare
MLA
“go spare.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20spare. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “go spare,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20spare.
Source: go spare on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.