squander

1 of 2

verb

squan·​der ˈskwän-dər 

squandered; squandering ˈskwän-d(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to spend extravagantly or foolishly : dissipate, waste

squandered a fortune

2

: to cause to disperse : scatter

3

: to lose (something, such as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction

intransitive verb

: disperse, scatter

squanderer

ˈskwän-dər-ər 

noun

squander

2 of 2

noun

: an act of squandering

Synonyms

Verb

• blow
• dissipate
• fiddle away
• fritter (away)
• lavish
• lose
• misspend
• run through
• spend
• throw away
• trifle (away)
• waste

Examples of squander in a Sentence

Verb

He vowed not to squander this opportunity.

squandered all her money gambling in casinos

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Instead, Russia has paid a staggering price for Putin’s imperial folly, with hundreds of thousands of Russian casualties since February 2022 and more than $200 billion squandered. —Lloyd J. Austin Iii, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024

Put a savings plan in place instead of squandering your cash. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024

Noun

Veterans Jamison Crowder and Byron Pringle, second-year player Mitchell Tinsley and 2023 practice squanders Brycen Tremayne and Kazmeir Allen are other candidates if the Commanders keep at least six receivers on the Week 1 roster. —Ben Standig, The Athletic, 13 Aug. 2024

This vicious cycle squanders taxpayer dollars and enables politicians to reap gains without actually benefiting constituents. —Ge Bai, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1536, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1709, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

squander

verb

squan·​der

ˈskwän-dər

squandered; squandering

-d(ə-)riŋ

: to spend foolishly or wastefully

squandered all her money on video games

squanderer

-dər-ər

noun