How do you use "Shell out" in a sentence?

I had to shell out $500 for a new transmission. Americans shell out an average of $200 a month on subscriptions. I don't want to shell out that much for a concert ticket.

Shell out

Q: What does "Shell out" mean?

To pay a significant amount of money, often reluctantly. 'Shelling out' implies spending money that you'd rather keep. It's not voluntary indulgence — it's paying because you have to. Whether it's rent, a repair bill, or an overpriced meal, shelling out feels like parting with money painfully.

American Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common informal

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Meaning: To pay a significant amount of money, often reluctantly.

（通常是不情愿地）支付一大笔钱。

Pagar una cantidad considerable de dinero, a menudo a regañadientes.

かなりの金額を（しぶしぶ）支払うこと。

상당한 금액을 (종종 마지못해) 지불하다.

'Shelling out' implies spending money that you'd rather keep. It's not voluntary indulgence — it's paying because you have to. Whether it's rent, a repair bill, or an overpriced meal, shelling out feels like parting with money painfully.

'Shelling out'暗示花的是你宁愿留着的钱。这不是自愿的消费——而是不得不花。无论是房租、修理费还是过于昂贵的一顿饭，shelling out都给人一种心疼地掏钱的感觉。

'Shelling out' implica gastar dinero que preferirías quedarte. No es un capricho voluntario — es pagar porque no queda más remedio. Ya sea el alquiler, una reparación o una comida carísima, 'shelling out' se siente como desprenderse del dinero con dolor.

「shell out」はできれば手放したくないお金を払うことを示唆する。自発的な贅沢ではなく、払わざるを得ないから払うのだ。家賃であれ修理代であれ割高な食事であれ、shell outには痛みを伴う出費というニュアンスがある。

'셸 아웃(shelling out)'은 차라리 안 쓰고 싶은 돈을 쓰는 것을 의미한다. 자발적인 사치가 아니라 — 어쩔 수 없이 내야 하는 것이다. 집세든, 수리비든, 비싼 식사든, '셸 아웃'은 고통스럽게 돈이 빠져나가는 느낌이다.

Examples

I had to shell out $500 for a new transmission.
我不得不花了500美元换一个新变速箱。
Tuve que soltar 500 dólares por una transmisión nueva.
トランスミッションの交換で500ドルも払わされた。
변속기 교체하는 데 500달러나 내야 했어.
Americans shell out an average of $200 a month on subscriptions.
美国人平均每月在各种订阅上花200美元。
Los estadounidenses desembolsan una media de 200 dólares al mes en suscripciones.
アメリカ人はサブスク代に月平均200ドルも払っている。
미국인들은 구독료로 월평균 200달러를 내고 있다.
I don't want to shell out that much for a concert ticket.
我可不想花那么多钱买一张演唱会门票。
No quiero soltar tanto dinero por una entrada de concierto.
コンサートチケットにそんな大金は出したくない。
콘서트 티켓에 그렇게 큰돈을 내고 싶지 않아.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: everyday conversation, complaining about prices, bills

Tone: reluctant, resigned

✓ Do Say

I had to shell out big time for those repairs.
那次维修我可花了一大笔钱。
Tuve que soltar un dineral por esas reparaciones (I had to shell out big time).
修理代にかなりの額を払わされたよ。
수리비로 큰돈을 내야 했어.
I'm not shelling out $20 for parking.
停车费20块？我才不掏呢。
No pienso soltar 20 dólares por aparcar (I'm not shelling out $20 for parking).
駐車場に20ドルも払う気はないよ。
주차비로 20달러나 낼 생각은 없어.

✗ Don't Say

Always implies reluctance — don't say 'I happily shelled out' — use 'splurged' instead
这个词总是带有不情愿的意味——不要说'I happily shelled out'——想表达乐意花钱应该用'splurged'
Siempre implica desgana — no digas 'I happily shelled out' — usa 'splurged' en su lugar
常に不本意さを伴う——「喜んでshell outした」とは言わない。その場合は「splurged」を使う
항상 마지못해 하는 뉘앙스를 담고 있다 — '기꺼이 큰돈을 냈다(happily shelled out)'라고는 하지 않는다 — 대신 '사치했다(splurged)'를 써라

Origin & History

From the 1800s, possibly related to 'shelling' corn — removing kernels one by one, like reluctantly handing over coins. Has been American English slang since the mid-1800s.

Cultural Context

Era: Mid-1800s onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal