squander

Compare Danish skvætte (rare)/skvatte (“to splash”) (nominalised: skvæt), Icelandic skvetta (“to squirt”), Swedish skvätta (“to splash”), Norwegian Bokmål skvette.[1]

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈskwɒnd.ə/, [ˈskwɒnd.ə]
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈskwɑn.dɚ/, [ˈskʷɑn.dɚ]
• Rhymes: -ɒndə(ɹ)

squander (third-person singular simple present squanders, present participle squandering, simple past and past participle squandered)

1. To waste, lavish, splurge; to spend lavishly or profusely; to dissipate.
   • 1746, Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac[2]

     Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.

   • George Best (1946-2005)

     I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.[3]

   • 2011 September 24, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 3 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC Sport‎:

     As the game opened up, Bolton squandered a fine opportunity to equalise - Chris Eagles shooting straight at Szczesny - but then back came Arsenal.

2. (obsolete) To scatter; to disperse.
   • John Dryden

     Our squandered troops he rallies.

3. (obsolete) To wander at random; to scatter.
   • William Shakespeare

     The wise man's folly is anatomized / Even by squandering glances of the fool.

Squander implies starting with many resources, such as great wealth, and then wasting them (using them up to little purpose or little effect), often ending with little. Particularly used in phrases such as “squander an opportunity” or “squander an inheritance”. It may be used even if one starts with little, though usually in some construction such as “squander what little he had”.

• waste, splurge
• ducks and drakes
• throw away

• quanders