squander
1 of 2verb
squan·der ˈskwän-dər 
squandered; squandering ˈskwän-d(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
1
: to spend extravagantly or foolishly : dissipate, waste
squandered a fortune
2
: to cause to disperse : scatter
3
: to lose (something, such as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction
intransitive verb
: disperse, scatter
squanderer
ˈskwän-dər-ər
noun squander
2 of 2noun
: an act of squandering
Synonyms
Verb
- blow
- dissipate
- fiddle away
- fritter (away)
- lavish
- lose
- misspend
- run through
- spend
- throw away
- trifle (away)
- waste
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He vowed not to squander this opportunity. squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 7 Sep. 2022 There is always another team on the floor looking to not to squander its opportunity. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Sep. 2022 But when first baseman Michael Chavis fired a perfect throw across the diamond, Taylor was tagged out to squander the opportunity. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2022 Miguel Cabrera, with Báez standing on third base, struck out swinging on three pitches to squander a chance at more runs. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 15 Aug. 2022 For the Morse team, though, this means there’s no room to squander that rarified position. Wired, 5 Aug. 2022 Nick Pivetta didn’t need long to squander the 2-0 lead. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 Some in the conservative caucus claimed their party leaders were violating a core GOP campaign pledge by supporting the legislation and encouraging low-income residents to squander their benefits. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 Apr. 2022 In a number of states with Democratic governors, including Pennsylvania, Illinois and Minnesota, Republicans have rallied behind candidates who may squander coveted opportunities for G.O.P. pickups. New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022 BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2021 If the Jazz squander playoff possessions or get sloppy on those trips, their chances at winning will greatly diminish. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 May 2021 Every day Trump and the Republicans squander brings us a day closer to the election and a likely Biden presidency. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2020 See More
Verb
After watching his team squander a five-point lead late in the third set, Assumption High School volleyball coach Ron Kordes could laugh about it after the Rockets corrected course for a four-set victory over rival Mercy on Tuesday. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 7 Sep. 2022 There is always another team on the floor looking to not to squander its opportunity. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Sep. 2022 But when first baseman Michael Chavis fired a perfect throw across the diamond, Taylor was tagged out to squander the opportunity. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2022 Miguel Cabrera, with Báez standing on third base, struck out swinging on three pitches to squander a chance at more runs. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 15 Aug. 2022 For the Morse team, though, this means there’s no room to squander that rarified position. Wired, 5 Aug. 2022 Nick Pivetta didn’t need long to squander the 2-0 lead. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 Some in the conservative caucus claimed their party leaders were violating a core GOP campaign pledge by supporting the legislation and encouraging low-income residents to squander their benefits. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 Apr. 2022 In a number of states with Democratic governors, including Pennsylvania, Illinois and Minnesota, Republicans have rallied behind candidates who may squander coveted opportunities for G.O.P. pickups. New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022 Noun
For the second game in a row, the Red Sox got off to promising start, only to see the bullpen squander it. BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2021 If the Jazz squander playoff possessions or get sloppy on those trips, their chances at winning will greatly diminish. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 May 2021 Every day Trump and the Republicans squander brings us a day closer to the election and a likely Biden presidency. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
origin unknown
First Known Use
Verb
1536, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1709, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
squander
verb
squan·der ˈskwän-dər
squandered; squandering
: to spend foolishly : waste
She squandered her allowance.
Don't squander this opportunity.
squandering 1 of 3
adjective
as in wasteful
given to spending money freely or foolishly the nightclub's ridiculous prices seem geared to squandering revelers with more money than sense Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- wasteful
- profligate
- prodigal
- spendthrift
- extravagant
- generous
- thriftless
- careless
- lavish
- reckless
- bountiful
- unthrifty
- improvident
- philanthropic
- liberal
- high-rolling
- heedless
- splurging
- philanthropical
- unstinting
- shortsighted
- munificent
- injudicious
- openhanded
- imprudent
- myopic
- incautious
- charitable
- unselfish
- bighearted
- indulgent
- unwise
- unsparing
- openhearted
- freehanded
- wanton
- self-indulgent
- freehearted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conserving
- economizing
- sparing
- spare
- economical
- frugal
- miserly
- thrifty
- scrimping
- skimping
- pinching
- cheap
- stingy
- penurious
- parsimonious
- close
- mean
- niggardly
- careful
- tightfisted
- judicious
- stinting
- tight
- prudent
- wise
- penny-pinching
- closefisted
- sensible
- foreseeing
- provident
- foresighted
- forehanded
- farsighted
- forethoughtful
squandering
2 of 3noun
as in wastefulness
Synonyms & Similar Words
- wastefulness
- profligacy
- wastage
- dissipation
- profusion
- loss
- excess
- overindulgence
- splurge
- indulgence
- luxury
- prodigality
- extravagance
- self-indulgence
- waste
- overkill
- immoderacy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- saving
- necessity
- economy
- economizing
- skimping
- conservation
- thrift
- frugality
- scrimping
- parsimony
- restraint
- moderation
- penny-pinching
- temperateness
- temperance
- belt-tightening
- austerity
squandering
3 of 3verb
1
as in spending
to use up carelessly squandered all her money gambling in casinos Synonyms & Similar Words
- spending
- wasting
- losing
- misspending
- lavishing
- dissipating
- blowing
- running through
- throwing away
- splurging
- consuming
- depleting
- fiddling away
- overspending
- expending
- impoverishing
- frittering (away)
- making ducks and drakes of
- playing ducks and drakes with
- indulging
- trifling (away)
- exhausting
- disbursing
- overindulging
- shooting
- laying out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conserving
- preserving
- protecting
- saving
- economizing
- skimping
- scrimping
- hoarding
- laying up
2
as in dispersing
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart a single blast of the shotgun squandered the herd of deer Synonyms & Similar Words
- dispersing
- dissipating
- scattering
- dispelling
- disbanding
- isolating
- disseminating
- segregating
- clearing out
- parting
- separating
- diffusing
- spreading
- diverging
- splitting (up)
- breaking up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- collecting
- concentrating
- assembling
- gathering
- congregating
- clustering
- ingathering
- uniting
- unifying
- agglutinating
- conglomerating