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.

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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.

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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

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noun

1. a small piece; shred

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

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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

Explanation

A person who fritters chooses to spend their energy on things that are wasteful. You can fritter money, time, or energy, but once you've "frittered it away," you can't get it back! The first time you get a paycheck, you might be tempted to go on a spending spree, buying fireworks, a rabbit costume, and a giant gumball machine. But be careful, because if you fritter away your hard-earned cash like that, you won’t have any left for important things, like food and rent. The Old English root of the word means “break into fragments,” which is what happens to someone who fritters their life away.

Example Sentences

Restaurant-delivery apps have become “an easy, and lazy, way to fritter your money away instead of investing,” Valega said.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026

I clear my schedule and hole up in the library, only to fritter away hours doing everything but writing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

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

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

Their extensive donut menu has 30 variations, including chocolate wildberry fritter, salt and vinegar, red velvet cake and orange dream star.

From Salon • May 28, 2025

“Frances. Let’s go, buddy. Let’s not fritter away the best part of the day here….Let’s go, buddy.”

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• dissipate
• lavish
• misspend
• squander