squander
/ˈskwɒndə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈskwɑːndər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈskwän-dər/ (ame, mw)
squander — 動詞
- squanderpresent simple I / you / we / they
- squandershe / she / it
- squanderedpast simple
- squandering-ing form
1. to use money, time, a skill, or an opportunity in a way that produces nothing us
揮霍
浪費使用金錢、時間或機會
to use money, time, a skill, or an opportunity in a way that produces nothing useful, especially by spending it on things that are not worthwhile
The minister was accused of squandering public money on luxury hotel stays.
部長被指控把公款揮霍在豪華飯店住宿上。
squander + money + on + [something]
Chinara squandered her chance to join the national team by arriving late to every practice.
Chinara 每次練習都遲到，白白揮霍了加入國家隊的機會。
squander + opportunity + by + [doing]
Instead of studying, the twins squandered the whole afternoon playing video games.
那對雙胞胎沒有唸書，把整個下午都揮霍在打電玩上。
A family inheritance can be squandered within months if no one plans carefully.
如果沒有人仔細規劃，一筆家族遺產可能在幾個月內就被揮霍一空。
Santiago knew that this low-paid job would squander the skills he had learned at university.
Santiago 知道這份低薪工作會白白揮霍他在大學學到的技能。
- waste
more common and less dramatic; can describe any inefficient use without strong moral judgement
- fritter away
suggests wasting small amounts gradually rather than all at once
- blow
informal, mainly for money spent quickly and foolishly
- dissipate
more formal; suggests wasting something gradually until it disappears
文法句型
squander + noun phrase
squander + noun phrase + on + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with 'on' to specify what the money or time was spent on, and with 'by + -ing' to explain how an opportunity was wasted. The passive form ('be squandered') is common when the focus is on the resource itself rather than the person who wasted it.
常見錯誤
squander — 名詞
1. a situation in which money, time, or a valuable resource is wasted carelessly, o
浪費
浪費資源或金錢的行為
a situation in which money, time, or a valuable resource is wasted carelessly, often in a way that seems shocking or shameful
Critics called the stadium project a shameful squander of taxpayers' money.
批評者稱這個體育館項目是對納稅人金錢的可恥浪費。
a squander of [resource]
The committee agreed that the whole affair had been a squander of everyone's goodwill.
委員會一致認為整件事浪費了大家的好意。
文法句型
a squander + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the singular form with 'a' and followed by 'of' + noun phrase. More common in formal criticism or editorial writing than in everyday speech. The plural form is extremely rare.