verb
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to spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate
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an obsolete word for scatter
noun
Related Words
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.
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
You will respect your stepdaughter’s position by excising her from the trust, while ensuring you don’t leave a lot of swag for your stepson to squander.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 20, 2025
"Of course we are sad but the league is not over tonight. There are still many months to go," De Zerbi said after seeing his side squander a golden opportunity to take first place.
From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025
Unlike the Phillies, they didn’t squander their one opportunity for runs.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2025
Very few of these stars are of the massive short-lived variety that squander their reserves of thermonuclear fuel.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
