squander

Meaning

1. To waste, lavish, splurge; to spend lavishly or profusely; to dissipate.
2. (obsolete) To scatter; to disperse.
3. (obsolete) To wander at random; to scatter.

Synonyms

waste

dissipate

lavish

fritter away

scatter

consume

splurge

blow

spend

destroy

dissipation

lose

use up

misuse

dilapidate

disperse

chase away

ravage

ruin

ware

misspend

throw about

spread

sprinkle

cost

incline

lavishness

lean

list

luxury

mislay

misplace

output

perish

pillage

prodigal

profligacy

profligate

propagate

release

roam

run through

shatter

shoot

slant

slather

splash about

spoil

throw away

tilt

Translations

verschwenden

gaspiller

vergeuden

sprecare

malgastar

dissiper

esbanjar

prodiguer

sperperare

verschleudern

verkwisten

desperdiciar

verspillen

despilfarrar

dilapider

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈskwɒnd.ə/

Etymology

Cognate with Danish: skvætte

Cognate with Icelandic: skvetta

Cognate with Swedish: skvätta

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: skvette

In summary

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.