verb
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to spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate
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an obsolete word for scatter
noun
Synonym Usage
See spend.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of squander
First recorded in 1585–95; origin uncertain
Explanation
To squander means to spend extravagantly, thoughtlessly, or wastefully. If you need to save for college, don't squander your income on nightly sushi dinners. Squander used to mean scatter, and the way we use it now implies throwing something (like money) all over the place. You can squander time as well as money. If you have a big deadline but you are chatting away or looking at social networking sites, you are squandering your time. If you have an opportunity to play for a major league baseball team but show up late to tryouts and criticize the coach, you have probably squandered your chance.
Vocabulary lists containing squander
Fahrenheit 451
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Touching Spirit Bear
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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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.
Tottenham Hotspur squander the opportunity to take a significant step towards Premier League safety as they are held to a 1-1 draw at home by Leeds United.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
After losing in straight sets to Rishvanth Krishna from Irvine University in last year’s final, Huarte was not about to squander his second chance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
That said, plenty of families have adult children who may be tempted to squander a large sum of money and/or even fall prey to other bad actors in their lives.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026
But the administration also needs to take care to do it right and not squander political capital by acting outside the public perception of common sense even if it is acting lawfully.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026
His greatest weakness is instant lottery tickets, what he calls “los scratch,” and he sheepishly confesses that he can squander as much as $75 a week on them.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
