What’s the past tense of “spread”?
- The past tense of spread is spread.
- Spread is an irregular verb with the same present and past tense form.
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Spreaded is often mistaken as the past tense of spread.
Most view spreaded as an error and a nonstandard variant; it’s best to avoid “spreaded” and stick to spread as the past tense.
The news spread quickly.
Spread the butter thinly on the toast.
Forms of “spread”
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I spread | I spread | I will spread |
| continuous | I am spreading | I was spreading | I will be spreading |
| perfect | I have spread | I had spread | I will have spread |
| perfect continuous | I have been spreading | I had been spreading | I will have been spreading |
Remember to always pair participles with an auxiliary! For perfect tenses, use ‘have’, ‘has’, or ‘had’. For continuous, use a form of ‘to be’.
Irregular verbs (with one past tense conjugation)
Certain verbs, like spread, show no change between their present and past tense verb forms. For this reason, spread and other similar verbs are irregular. Regular verbs add “-ed” to denote the past tense. Irregular verbs end in something other than “-ed” in the past tense, such as spread.
When verbs appear identical in both the past and present tense, how we determine tense is by paying attention to the other grammatical aspects in the same sentence (as demonstrated by the chart above). See the chart of other verbs with one form in the present/past tense.
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| cut | cut | cut |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bet | bet | bet |
| shut | shut | shut |
| hit | hit | hit |
| set | set | set |
| spread | spread | spread |
Sentences in the present
| Sentence | Form/Notes |
|---|---|
| She spreads cream cheese on her bagel every morning. | present simple |
| The wildfire spreads rapidly through the dry forest. | present simple |
| The news spreads like a virus on social media. | present simple |
| He spreads fertilizer in the garden to help the plants grow. | present simple |
Spread in the past tense
| Sentence | Form/Notes |
|---|---|
| Last week, they spread a layer of mulch in the garden. | past simple |
| The disease spread to neighbouring towns before it was contained. | past simple |
| She spread a blanket on the beach and watched the sun go down. | past simple |
| We spread a layer of icing on the freshly baked cake. | past simple |
Spread as a past participle
| Sentence | Form/Notes |
|---|---|
| The virus has spread uncontrollably in recent weeks. | present perfect |
| The message has been spread to raise awareness about the cause. | present perfect passive |
| The butter should be spread evenly on the toast. | modal + past participle |
| The news had already spread to all corners of the city. | past perfect |
Phrases with “spread”
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| To be spread too thin | to be overworked or overwhelmed by too many tasks or having too much to do |
| To spread/cast a wide net | to open yourself to a variety of options |
| To spread like wildfire | for something to catch on extremely fast |
| Ill news spreads apace | bad news spreads quickly |
| Spread your wings | to live independently and explore life’s opportunities |
Origin of the word spread
| Origin | From Old English spraedan “to stretch out, expand, scatter,” related to Old Norse spretta and Middle Dutch spreiden. The modern sense of “extend over a surface” is from the 13th century. |
Commonly confused verbs
Worksheet: Irregular verbs
What is the past tense of “spread”?
Which sentence uses “spread” correctly in the past tense?
Is “spread” a regular or irregular verb?
Which of the following is NOT a correct past participle form of “spread”?
The jam ______ evenly on the bread.
The wildfire rapidly.
The news had already to all corners of the city.
She a blanket on the grass.
The paint easily.
Yesterday, they the fertilizer.
FAQs
What is the past tense of “spread”?
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Is “spreaded” grammatically correct?
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How do I know if “spread” is past tense?
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What are some examples of “spread” in past tense?
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“Spread” is an irregular verb? How?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Spread? (Spread? Spreaded?)." Grammarflex, Jun 25, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-past-tense-of-spread/.
Sources
- “spread.” TheFreeDictionary.com. 2023. Farlex, Inc. 20 Dec. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/spread
