Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. synonym: waste.
  • transitive verb To fail to take advantage of.
  • transitive verb Archaic To scatter.
  • noun Extravagant expenditure; prodigality.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To scatter; disperse.
  • To spend lavishly, profusely, or prodigally; dissipate; use without economy or judgment; lavish: as, to squander one's money or an estate.
  • To disperse; wander aimlessly; go at random.
  • To waste one's substance; go to wasteful expense; spend recklessly.
  • noun The act of squandering.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of squandering; waste.
  • intransitive verb To spend lavishly; to be wasteful.
  • intransitive verb rare To wander at random; to scatter.
  • transitive verb obsolete To scatter; to disperse.
  • transitive verb To spend lavishly or profusely; to spend prodigally or wastefully; to use without economy or judgment; to dissipate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To waste, lavish, splurge

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb spend thoughtlessly; throw away
  • verb spend extravagantly

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word squander.

Examples

  • Will we see Brown bite the bullet and push for this referendum, or will we see him once again squander the chance for proper reform, reform that the Liberal Democrat’s have been calling for well before the expense scandal?

    Are we going to miss the chance for proper reform?… « My Liberal Democrat Political Ramblings… 2009

  • To DW-S's mind, the economy is turning around, and now we have to worry that the new House majority will "squander" it.

    TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011

  • I was already sketching mental notes for my optimistic space exploration trilogy, so I didn't want to "squander" ideas for the novel by shoehorning them into a shorter piece.

    EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Alastair Reynolds 2010

  • To DW-S's mind, the economy is turning around, and now we have to worry that the new House majority will "squander" it.

    TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011

  • That moment, the world was so on our side and we did kind of squander that.

    CNN Transcript Nov 2, 2009 2009

  • I have finally gotten around to using the word "squander".

    unclebob Diary Entry unclebob 2002

  • I was already sketching mental notes for my optimistic space exploration trilogy, so I didn't want to "squander" ideas for the novel by shoehorning them into a shorter piece.

    SF Signal CharlesTan 2010

  • Because, without us (the Good People), injury victims "squander" their personal injury settlements.

    Beyond Structured Settlements 2009

  • "Bush cover-up of torture bad, Obama cover-up of torture a good and necessary measure to save precious American lives." now being warned by his generals not to "squander" with his plans for pulling out some troops and leaving behind tens of thousands of others:

    Chris Floyd - Empire Burlesque 2009

  • Gordon Brown launched a new assault on excessive pay today with plans to name and shame bodies that "squander" public funds on huge salaries.

    FREE MARKET FAIRY TALES 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Wasting time in squid-hunting, or paying too much for seafood.

    March 14, 2008

  • Also what squids on squalkabout do.

    March 14, 2008

  • Also see squawk.

    March 15, 2008

  • I hurl my heart to halt his pace,

    To quench his thirst I squander blood

    from "Pursuit," by Sylvia Plath

    April 8, 2008

  • "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

    - George Best.

    February 16, 2009