squander
Americanverb
-
to spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate
-
an obsolete word for scatter
noun
Synonym Usage
See spend.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
squandersimple
-
squanderssimple
-
have squanderedperfect
-
has squanderedperfect
-
am squanderingprogressive
-
are squanderingprogressive
-
is squanderingprogressive
-
have been squanderingperfect progressive
-
has been squanderingperfect progressive
Past
-
squanderedsimple
-
had squanderedperfect
-
was squanderingprogressive
-
were squanderingprogressive
-
had been squanderingperfect progressive
Future
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Touching Spirit Bear
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The Dodgers are going to squander the grandest opportunity of all — the possibility of the three-peat, something only two other MLB franchises have pulled off, and none in the National League.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Kostrzewa was one of several Polish executives who signed an appeal to both governments urging them not to "squander" their close ties.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
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
“Investors should watch closely for signs that management could squander its enhanced capital generation in pursuit of empire building,” analysts write.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
She’s jealous that Peter confides in me and not in her, offended that Dussel doesn’t respond sufficiently to her flirtations and afraid her husband’s going to squander all the fur-coat money on tobacco.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Carrie-Anne Moss of “The Matrix” makes for an ideal veteran Jedi, but in its first misstep, “The Acolyte” squanders that opportunity right out of the gate, setting viewers up for disappointment.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 4, 2024
Michael Madsen brings a much-needed jolt of bad boy energy to this dreary psychodrama that squanders good performances and a sharp midfilm twist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2023
Trym knows too well how the human touch squanders a wild animal’s dignity.
From Slate ● Dec. 24, 2022
Food waste not only squanders natural resources, money and effort, it degrades the environment.
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2022
In his informing and stimulating collection of essays, “On Contemporary Literature,” recently published, Mr. Stuart P. Sherman squanders an entire chapter on Theodore Dreiser.
From The So-called Human Race by Bert Leston Taylor
For a company that has owned a pioneering AI lab since 2014 and has proclaimed itself “AI-first” since 2016, Google seems to have squandered an early lead, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Fritz squandered a pair of match points at 40-15 and gave himself another with a booming forehand.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Rescue teams say they squandered hours waiting to receive their equipment and luggage at the overwhelmed airport in Valencia, a two-hour drive from the disaster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
From Muchova's diving volley to Gauff's squandered match point, it had it all.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
All rarities, for which he had squandered two weeks’ salary—borrowed in advance from Mr. Sloat.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
They’re just focused on winning this race, this time, and not squandering the opportunity that has fallen into their laps.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
For now, he keeps squandering his Marvel breaks on whiffs like “Cherry” and “Uncharted.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
I can definitely understand why there might not be, let’s say, a surplus of empathy for a privileged young man carelessly and repeatedly squandering his expensive education.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
“And that results in squandering more opportunities than gaining ground in negotiations.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
I couldn’t dance a lick, anyway, and I couldn’t see squandering my few dimes on gills.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
