squander

C1 Topic:Time

US /ˈskwɑn.dɚ/ UK /ˈskwɒnd.ə/ See IPA manual

Freq #25337

Meanings

1

verb
To waste money, time, or opportunities carelessly.

He squandered his savings on things he didn't need.
2

verb
To waste a chance by failing to use it well.

The team squandered an early lead and lost the match.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to waste money, time, or... blow wastethrow awaysplurge

2 verb · to waste a chance by... waste

Word family

Forms squanderedsquanderingsquanders

Derived forms squanderablesquanderationsquanderersquandergatesquanderinglysquanderlustsquandermaniasquandersomeunsquandered

Etymology

Earliest uses (late 16th c.) "to spend recklessly or prodigiously", also "to scatter over a wide area". Of unknown origin. Perhaps a blend of scatter + wander. Compare Danish skvætte (rare)/skvatte (“to splash”) (nominalised: skvæt), Icelandic skvetta (“to squirt”), Swedish skvätta (“to splash”), Norwegian Bokmål skvette.

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# squander

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈskwɑn.dɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈskwɒnd.ə/
**Frequency rank:** 25337

## Meanings
1. To waste money, time, or opportunities carelessly.
2. To waste a chance by failing to use it well.

## Examples
- He squandered his savings on things he didn't need.
- The team squandered an early lead and lost the match.

## Derived Forms
- squanderable
- squanderation
- squanderer
- squandergate
- squanderingly
- squanderlust
- squandermania
- squandersome
- unsquandered

## Etymology
Earliest uses (late 16th c.) "to spend recklessly or prodigiously", also "to scatter over a wide area". Of unknown origin. Perhaps a blend of scatter + wander. Compare Danish skvætte (rare)/skvatte (“to splash”) (nominalised: skvæt), Icelandic skvetta (“to squirt”), Swedish skvätta (“to splash”), Norwegian Bokmål skvette.

## AI Etymology
Squander is earliest uses (late 16th c.) "to spend recklessly or prodigiously", also "to scatter over a wide area". Of unknown origin. Perhaps a blend of scatter + wander. Compare Danish skvætte (rare)/skvatte (“to splash”) (nominalised: skvæt), Icelandic skvetta (“to squirt”), Swedish skvätta (“to splash”), Norwegian Bokmål skvette. In present-day use, it can mean to waste money, time, or opportunities carelessly, or to waste a chance by failing to use it well. Derived formations include squanderable, squanderation, squanderer, squandergate, and squanderingly.

## Topics
- Time
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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squander

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