fritter
verb (used with object)
to squander or disperse piecemeal; waste little by little (usually followed byaway ).
had frittered
-
past perfectof fritter.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Sam Burns and Adam Scott had frittered away their overnight advantage.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
A series of wrongheaded remarks, such as Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin’s comments about “legitimate rape,” had frittered away winnable races and dragged colleagues into the controversies.
From Time ● Aug. 22, 2016
Less than 24 hours earlier he had frittered away the Hyundai Tournament of Champions despite playing some of the best golf of his career.
From Golf Digest ● Oct. 16, 2013
He recalls one of Ms Winfrey’s shows during which a woman confessed to her husband that she had frittered away $300,000 and as a consequence their home was about to be repossessed.
From Economist ● Aug. 19, 2010
Locke had started a flight of hypotheses, which had frittered his force away and made his effort barren of definite result.
From Transcendentalism in New England A History by Octavius Brooks Frothingham
