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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Squander Definition, Usage, and Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：fritter away (squander)

squander 🔊

/ˈskwɒndər/

vt.

to waste money, time, or opportunities in a careless and unwise way.

Squander money: coins slipping through fingers carelessly

fritter away 🔊

➕

/ˈfrɪtər əˈweɪ/

vt.

To spend money or resources recklessly and uselessly, resulting in depletion without benefit.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Anglo-Norman "esquardir" (to scatter) or Latin "ex-"+"vannus" (winnowing fan).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a 'squad' wandering off track, squandering their time and money carelessly.

📖 Example

He squandered his entire year-end bonus on unnecessary gadgets he never used. 🔊 He wasted his entire year-end bonus on useless gadgets that he never used.

🔗 Collocations

squander money on – to waste money on something

squander an opportunity – to waste a chance

squander one's inheritance – to waste inherited wealth

🔄 Synonyms

fritter (v.) – to waste little by little

dissipate (v.) – to disperse or waste

blow (v.) – to spend recklessly, often all at once

🚫 Antonyms

save (v.) – to keep for future use

invest (v.) – to use money to gain profit

conserve (v.) – to protect from waste

🌱 Derivatives

squanderer (n.) – a person who wastes money or resources

squandering (adj./n.) – the act of wasting

squandered (adj.) – wasted

📖 Cultural Story

First recorded in the 16th century meaning 'to scatter', likely from Anglo-Norman 'esquardir'. By the 17th century, it evolved to describe wasteful spending, often used in financial contexts.

Meaning 2：waste time (squander)

squander 🔊

/ˈskwɒndər/

vt.

to spend time in a wasteful or unproductive manner.

Squander time: person idle on sofa watching clock

waste time 🔊

➕

/weɪst taɪm/

vt.

To use time in an unproductive or wasteful manner, resulting in no benefit.

📁 Category：Time & Dates 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Don't squander your summer vacation just scrolling through social media; learn a new skill or read some good books. 🔊 Don't waste your summer vacation scrolling through social media; learn a new skill or read some good books.

🔗 Collocations

squander time on – to waste time doing something

squander the day – to waste an entire day

squander one's youth – to waste one's young years

🔄 Synonyms

idle away (v.) – to spend time doing nothing

fritter away (v.) – to waste slowly and carelessly

dawdle (v.) – to take too much time and move slowly

🚫 Antonyms

use wisely (v.) – to spend time productively

make good use of (v.) – to utilize effectively

🌱 Derivatives

squanderer (n.) – a person who wastes time or resources

squandering (adj./n.) – the act of wasting

squandered (adj.) – wasted