Synonyms

misspend

American

[mis-spend] / mɪsˈspɛnd /

verb (used with object)

misspent, misspending

to spend wrongly or unwisely; squander; waste.

misspend British

/ ˌmɪsˈspɛnd /

verb

to spend thoughtlessly or wastefully

"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

misspender

noun

Etymology

Origin of misspend

1350–1400; Middle English. See mis- ¹, spend

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.

Davis pleaded guilty last month to state and federal felony charges in a conspiracy to misspend tens of millions of dollars from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2022

Eating out frequently, memberships that aren’t being used, and multiple impulse purchases are some of the ways people misspend.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2021

“If there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it,” White said Monday.

From Washington Times • May 4, 2020

Green did not respond to an email and voice mail, but in state filings she said her nonprofit helped many and did not misspend money.

From Chicago Tribune • Jul. 14, 2014

The marquis, dazzled by these reasons, gave up the point, and it was resolved, that the young marquis should not misspend his time in endeavoring to become acquainted with Cicero, Horace and Virgil.

From Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume by

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