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Synonyms

fritter

1 American  
[frit-er] / ˈfrɪt ər /

verb (used with object)

  1. to squander or disperse piecemeal; waste little by little (usually followed byaway ).

    to fritter away one's money; to fritter away an afternoon.
    Synonyms:
    dissipate

  2. to break or tear into small pieces or shreds.

verb (used without object)

  1. to dwindle, shrink, degenerate, etc. (often followed byaway ).

    to watch one's fortune fritter away.

  2. to separate or break into fragments.

    a plastic material having a tendency to fritter.

noun

  1. a small piece, fragment, or shred.

fritter 2 American  
[frit-er] / ˈfrɪt ər /

noun

  1. a small cake of batter, sometimes containing corn, fruit, clams, or some other ingredient, fried in deep fat or sautéed.

fritter 1 British  
/ ˈfrɪtə /

verb

  1. (usually foll by away) to waste or squander

    to fritter away time

  2. to break or tear into small pieces; shred

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a small piece; shred

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
fritter 2 British  
/ ˈfrɪtə /

noun

  1. a piece of food, such as apple or clam, that is dipped in batter and fried in deep fat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • fritterer noun
  • unfrittered adjective

Etymology

Origin of fritter1

1720–30; earlier fitter, derivative of fit ( Old English fitt ) a part

Origin of fritter2

1350–1400; Middle English friture, frytour < Old French friture < Late Latin frīctūra a frying, equivalent to Latin frict ( us ), past participle of frīgere to fry 1 + -ūra -ure

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He called the party a “mess” and wondered how its leaders might fritter away the momentum.

From Salon

But in recent years, that shame has started to fritter away - at least in some quarters.

From BBC

Beagle and Barker said they frittered away two hours at Pershing Square a few blocks away until around 4 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times

A two-under 34 on the front nine failed to do that and when McIlroy frittered away two shots on the 10th, it was clear the championship was beyond his reach.

From BBC

Sam Burns and Adam Scott had frittered away their overnight advantage.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.