spam
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Excessive, often unwanted and repeated online messages.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
spamIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈspæm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Internet
Unwanted e-mail (usually of a commercial nature sent out in bulk)
Internet
Excessive, often unwanted and repeated online messages.
A canned meat made largely from pork
“He opened the can of spam and fried slices for a quick and simple meal.”
A type of tinned meat made mainly from ham.
uncountablerarely countablecomputingInternet
Unsolicited bulk electronic messages.
uncountablecomputingInternet
Any undesired electronic content automatically generated for commercial purposes.
verb
Send unwanted or junk e-mail
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Unwanted e-mail (usually of a commercial nature sent out in bulk)
Used this way, spam is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It turns up most in technology contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Technology
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use spam
- “I deleted all the spam emails from my inbox.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Someone who sends unwanted email (often in bulk).
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “spam” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.