To pay a large or unwelcome amount of money for something.
To pay a lot of money for something, even when you don't want to.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To pay a significant or unwelcome sum of money for something.
"I had to shell out three hundred dollars just to fix the washing machine."
They are shelling out billions of dollars in aid.
— The Guardian, reported speech, various issues
To spend money on something considered extravagant or unnecessary.
"She shelled out for a first-class ticket even though the company only covers economy."
To remove a nut or seed from its shell — like extracting something that was enclosed, suggesting effort to release one's money.
To pay a lot of money for something, even when you don't want to.
Very common in everyday British and American English. Almost always implies that the speaker finds the cost high or unwelcome. Can be used with or without an object: 'I had to shell out' or 'shell out fifty pounds'.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "shell out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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