scatter
Americanverb (used with object)
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scatters,
present (3rd person singular)
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scattered,
past participle, past
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scattering
present participle
-
to throw loosely about; distribute at irregular intervals.
to scatter seeds.
- Synonyms:
- broadcast
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to separate and drive off in various directions; disperse.
to scatter a crowd.
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Physics.
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to refract or diffract (light or otherelectromagnetic radiation ) irregularly so as to diffuse in many directions.
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(of a medium) to diffuse or deflect (light or other wave phenomena) by collisions between the wave and particles of the medium.
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verb (used without object)
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scatters,
present (3rd person singular)
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scattered,
past participle, past
-
scattering
present participle
noun
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scatters
plural
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the act of scattering.
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something that is scattered.
verb
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(tr) to throw about in various directions; strew
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to separate and move or cause to separate and move in various directions; disperse
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to deviate or cause to deviate in many directions, as in the diffuse reflection or refraction of light
noun
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the act of scattering
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a substance or a number of objects scattered about
Synonym Usage
See sprinkle. Scatter, dispel, disperse, dissipate imply separating and driving something away so that its original form disappears. To scatter is to separate something tangible into parts at random, and drive these in different directions: The wind scattered leaves all over the lawn. To dispel is to drive away or scatter usually intangible things so that they vanish or cease to exist: Photographs of the race dispelled all doubts as to which horse won. To disperse is usually to cause a compact or organized tangible body to separate or scatter in different directions, to be reassembled if desired: Tear gas dispersed the mob. To dissipate is usually to scatter by dissolving or reducing to small atoms or parts that cannot be brought together again: He dissipated his money and his energy in useless activities.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scattersimple
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scatterssimple
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have scatteredperfect
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has scatteredperfect
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am scatteringprogressive
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are scatteringprogressive
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is scatteringprogressive
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have been scatteringperfect progressive
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has been scatteringperfect progressive
Past
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scatteredsimple
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had scatteredperfect
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was scatteringprogressive
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were scatteringprogressive
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had been scatteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scatter
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English scatere; compare Dutch schateren “to burst out laughing”
Explanation
If you hear someone shout "Everybody scatter!” that person wants everyone to spread out and leave the area. Scatter is a verb that means "to separate suddenly and spread out in different directions." Scatter is sometimes used as a noun to refer to something that has been scattered. If you have clothes strewn all over your room, you might say there is a scatter of clothes on the floor. More commonly, though, scatter is used as a verb meaning “to spread about.” You might scatter grass seed on your front lawn in the spring. Scatter can also mean “break up or disperse.” The police, for instance, might scatter an unruly mob or gathering.
Vocabulary lists containing scatter
Beowulf vocabulary
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Bronx Masquerade
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"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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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.
See Examples For:
Finish: Rest at least 15 minutes, then scatter with scallions or chives.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
They were travelling to the city to scatter the ashes of Rose's late husband, Pete.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
A post-game fireworks show went awry at BMO Stadium on Friday night, when fireworks set off on the playing pitch sent flares streaming into the stands, forcing fans to scatter to safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Spent firecrackers scatter residue that contains partially burned fuel, metal salts, additives, and pieces of charred packaging.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026
Each time a scatter of sparks burst out and went exactly where Iorek directed them: into a heap of shredded twigs and dried grass.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
"This atomic disorder limits performance because it traps and scatters electrons, much like potholes slowing traffic on a highway," describes Dr. Dongqi Li from TU Dresden.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2026
This is because the sunlight it reflects reaches us through a more dense part of the Earth's atmosphere which scatters blue and violet light, and means only the redder hues reach us.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
By comparing the patterns in forward- and back-scattered light, they could estimate each particle's size and its refractive index, which describes how strongly light bends or scatters when it passes through a material.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 17, 2025
Clayton Kershaw scatters six hits and gives up one earned run, and the Dodgers’ offense finally shows life in a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2025
A priest in the college cellar scatters holy water on the walls.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
On Wednesday, the greatest chance of scattered heavy and thundery showers will affect the north of the UK, with Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and northern England likely to see some of the heaviest downpours.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
As a result, most of the light entering one end can reach the other without being absorbed, scattered, or otherwise lost.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
After Scott, a Vietnam War veteran, died in August 2013 at age 58, Bare scattered his ashes on her property.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
"Over the last four weeks, I have transported 1,000 small straw bales from the fields and scattered it around".
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
The goats scattered, bleating wildly, and it dropped lower, until it was almost skimming the ground, and snatched one in its claws.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
A police pursuit early Wednesday through Los Angeles ended in dramatic fashion when the fleeing vehicle smashed into a row of parked cars, injuring the driver and scattering glass and debris across the road.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Sri Lanka's health authorities attribute the surge in dengue infections to a cyclone that tore through the island last December, scattering debris that have turned into new breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
I’ve topped bowls with butter-soaked, cardamom-dusted sourdough croutons, a simple scattering of pistachios, granola and even dried coconut flakes, and each has worked beautifully.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
That alignment reduces scattering of the heat carrying phonons, allowing thermal energy to move through the crystal much more efficiently.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
The crazy boy rushed on, and when he reached the enormous camera, he jumped straight for the switch, scattering Oompa-Loompas right and left as he went.
From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl
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.
