squander

1 of 2

verb

squan·​der ˈskwän-dər How to pronounce squander (audio)
squandered; squandering ˈskwän-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce squander (audio)

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
squanderer noun

squander

2 of 2

noun

: an act of squandering

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
Mark Alcazar Oakley Electing Trump would squander WWII effort Why did the United States and our allies bother to defeat fascism in World War II? Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 Like Fear, Daryl Dixon had so much promise, and all of that promise has been squandered. Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
But families affected by addiction, recovery advocates, and legal and public health experts say doing so squanders a rare opportunity to direct additional resources toward saving lives. Aneri Pattani, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024 The worse sin is the way the movie squanders scenes that should be transcendently ecstatic or transcendently silly. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for squander 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of squander was in 1536

Dictionary Entries Near squander

Cite this Entry

“Squander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squander. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on squander

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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