What does squander mean?
Word: Squander
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Squander means to waste money, time or a chance in a careless way.
Synonyms: waste, fritter away
Antonyms: save
Word origin: Its origin is unknown; it first appears in English in the late 1500s.
How do you spell squander?
Syllables: squan - der
Tricky part: After squ, the vowel sounds like the o in hot, yet it is written with an a. That is why squonder is such a common slip.
Watch out for: squonder, squonnder
Memory tip: To squander is to waste, and the a in waste can remind you of the a in this word.
Squander in a sentence
Example 1: Do not squander your pocket money on things you will forget by next week.
Example 2: The farmers built a small tank so that they would not squander a single drop of rain.
Example 3: Rohan did not mean to squander the whole afternoon scrolling on his phone.
Fun Fact
In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare uses this verb to mean scattered: Shylock is talking about ships spread across the world, not about wasted money.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
squan______
a) dur
b) dar
c) dor
d) der
Show answer
d) der. Thunder and under close the same way.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
dsneaurq 12345678
a) 82653147
b) 28654137
c) 28653147
d) 28563147
Show answer
c) 28653147. Start at letter 2 for the s, go to letter 8 for the q, and the verb falls into place.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. squander 2. scarce 3. timid a. plentiful b. bold c. conserve
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Show answer
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. To conserve is to use with care, plentiful is the reverse of scarce, and a bold child is not timid.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) enter : entered
b) squander : squanderred
c) refer : referred
d) offer : offered
Show answer
b) squander : squanderred. Refer doubles its r because the stress falls on the end; this word is stressed at the start, so its r stays single.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Anil's uncle gave him a thousand rupees, and Anil managed to squander it in two days. What is most likely true?
a) He put the money in a savings account.
b) He gave the money back to his uncle.
c) He has little to show for the money.
d) He has spent it on useful school books.
Show answer
c) He has little to show for the money.
2. A coach tells her team, 'Do not squander this lead.' What does she want?
a) make the most of the advantage
b) change the order of the players
c) rest for all the remaining time
d) agree a draw with the other side
Show answer
a) make the most of the advantage
