Have you ever got stuck on the correct past tense of the irregular verb spread in English grammar? This article will explain the conjugations of the word spread and also define spread and give you all the information you need about the word in the English language.

What Is the Definition of the Word Spread?

The word spread is defined as:

Intransitive verb

to become dispersed, distributed, or scattered
- the fire spread throughout the house
- the shocking news spread through the town
to become known or disseminated
- the disease spreads more and more every day
to grow in length or breadth: expand
to move apart (as from pressure or weight): separate

Transitive verb

to open or expand over a larger area
- spread out the map
to stretch out: extend
- spread its wings for flight
to distribute over an area
- spread fertilizer
to distribute over a period or among a group
- spread the work over a few weeks
to apply on a surface
- spread butter on bread
to cover or overlay something with
- spread the cloth on the table
archaic: to cover completely
to prepare or furnish for dining: set
spread the table
serve
spread the afternoon tea
to make widely known
spread the news
to extend the range or incidence of
spread a disease
diffuse, emit
flowers spreading their fragrance
to push apart by weight or force

Noun

the act or process of spreading
extent of spreading
something spread out: such as
- a surface area: expanse
- a ranch or homestead especially in the western U.S.
- Western US: a herd of animals
- a prominent display in a periodical
- two facing pages (as of a newspaper) usually with matter running across the fold
- also: the matter occupying these pages
something spread on or over a surface: such as
- a food to be spread (as on bread or crackers)
- a cheese spread
- a sumptuous meal: feast
- a cloth cover for a table or bed
The distance between two points: gap
a commodities market transaction in which a participant hedges with simultaneous long and short options in different commodities or different delivery dates in the same commodity

What Is the Past Tense of Spread?

The past tense of spread is spread. This would be used in a sentence like: I like the way you spread the peanut butter evenly across the bread.

How Do You Conjugate Spread?

Here are some verb conjugations of the English verb spread including the past tense:

Infinitive: To spread

Past Participle: Spread

Present Participle: Spreading

Simple Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
I spread	spread	Am spreading
You spread	spread	Are spreading
Third-Person he/she/it spreads	spread	Is spreading
We spread	spread	Are spreading
They spread	spread	Are spreading

The History and Origin of the Word

It has been used since at least the 13th century. It came from Old English and was spealed spraedan which was similar to the Old High German spreiten which both meant to spread.

Synonyms of Spread

Broadcast
Circulate
Disseminate
Propagate
Bedcover
Bedspread
Counterpane
Coverlet

Antonyms include halt, stop, reduce, suppress.

Example Sentences of the Word in Context

That count includes one man in his 60s who died, but does not include secondary cases in which Sturgis participants brought the virus back to Minnesota and spread it to others, Ehresmann said.
— Jeremy Olson, Star Tribune, “7 COVID-19 deaths, 1,047 infections reported in Minnesota ahead of holiday weekend,” 3 Sep. 2020
Ordered by the Trump Administration, the mandate was issued through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since those without housing stability are high risks to contract or spread the COVID-19 virus.
— Aric Jenkins, Fortune, “Everything to know about Trump’s halt on evictions,” 3 Sep. 2020
Both adults and children can spread the virus with or without symptoms, said Ohlsen with the state public health division.
— Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, “‘Don’t assume they can’t get it’: Over 800 kids have tested positive for COVID-19 in Alaska,” 2 Sep. 2020
There is growing evidence that asymptomatic people have the potential to spread the virus just as readily as those who do have symptoms.
— Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, “Ohio sees biggest coronavirus spike since July as students return to school: The Wake Up for Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020,” 2 Sep. 2020
The doctors’ letter explicitly referenced large weddings and other celebrations as events with potential to spread the virus within the community.
— Shira Hanau, sun-sentinel.com, “Citing COVID-19 uptick, Long Island Jewish doctors ask for community’s trust,” 1 Sep. 2020
In his short tenure so far, Professor Atlas has repeatedly made statements contrary to scientific evidence, such as saying that children do not spread the virus.
— Beth Mole, Ars Technica, “Trump adviser reportedly wants to let COVID-19 spread, repeat Sweden’s mistakes,” 31 Aug. 2020
What kind of situations are likely to spread the virus, and which are more likely to be benign?
— Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, “Outbreaks and masks: Which Salt Lake County workers are most at risk and where are customers covering up,” 30 Aug. 2020
But an actual positive test can give people the motivation to stay in quarantine and not spread it further.
— Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, “The CDC’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines could make the pandemic worse,” 27 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Those infections probably occurred before pupils returned, Mr. Blanquer said, leaving open the question of whether schools would contribute to the spread of the virus in the weeks to come.
— Matthew Dalton, WSJ, “Coronavirus Cases Surge in France as People Return to Schools, Offices,” 4 Sep. 2020
The need for those precautions against the spread of COVID-19 likely will continue through Halloween and Thanksgiving, health experts say.
— Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, “Labor Day in Arizona ‘definitely a concern’ for COVID-19 spread, health experts say,” 4 Sep. 2020
Due to the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all individuals ages 2 and up wear a cloth face mask to protect themselves and others.
— Melissa Lee, USA TODAY, “Here’s where to buy face shields on sale,” 4 Sep. 2020
Insurify has said the exact breakdown is proprietary information, though Conza said class size was a larger percentage because of how social distancing relates to the spread of COVID-19.
— The Salt Lake Tribune, “Study finds Utah teachers are the most at risk for COVID-19. But Gov. Herbert disagrees.,” 4 Sep. 2020
The ministry of health is increasing its efforts to remind everybody … to wear masks around each other in order to mitigate the effect of the explosion on the spread of the coronavirus.
— Rasha Aridi, Science | AAAS, “‘Absolutely horrendous.’ Scientists discuss Beirut’s blast and how they are coping with its aftermath,” 4 Sep. 2020
And with the anticipated spread of superfast 5G mobile networks, it’s expected to grow even more.
— Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, “Cloud gaming gets a lift from COVID-19 and 5G. Here’s how much,” 3 Sep. 2020
Different responses to the Covid epidemic in Oregon and Idaho along with cross-border spread of the virus boosted local cases of the infection and complicated the response by Malheur County health officials.
— The Malheur Enterprise, oregonlive, “Malheur County’s coronavirus challenge: Being on the border as Oregon, Idaho respond differently to pandemic,” 3 Sep. 2020
Thursday marked the six months since Gov. Mike DeWine and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther closed the Arnold Classic, a nationally renown bodybuilding competition, to spectators, concerned about the spread of COVID-19.
— Laura Hancock, cleveland, “1,345 newly reported coronavirus cases for Ohio, six months since first closure: Thursday update,” 3 Sep. 2020

Summary

Next time you need to write the word spread, you will be well prepared for everything you need to know what it is and how to use it efficiently within American English. If you’re in ESL, you should feel confident with the different conjugations, the history of the word, and the definition.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

The Past Tense of Spread: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

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What Is the Definition of the Word Spread?

What Is the Past Tense of Spread?

How Do You Conjugate Spread?

The History and Origin of the Word

Synonyms of Spread

Example Sentences of the Word in Context

Summary

Sources:

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