misspend

verb

mis·​spend ˌmis-ˈspend How to pronounce misspend (audio)
misspent ˌmis-ˈspent How to pronounce misspend (audio) ; misspending

transitive verb

: to spend wrongly : squander
a misspent life

Examples of misspend in a Sentence

Several government officials have been accused of misspending public money. warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Compass Coffee co-founders Harrison Suarez and Michael Haft have gone their separate ways after Suarez accused Haft of fraudulently misspending Covid relief funds in a lawsuit filed this week. Mimi Montgomery, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025 Email address: Few states have a better view into the latest ways people are stealing and otherwise misspending local government dollars than Washington. Mckenzie Funk, ProPublica, 14 June 2024 Although the Russian military is preparing for Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Russia has misspent valuable resources, and Russian morale may be low—leaving its forces vulnerable. Michael Kofman, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2023 Five months ago, after an earlier phase of the civil trial, Wayne LaPierre, the longtime chief executive, was found liable for misspending $5.4 million of the N.RA.’s money. Danny Hakim, New York Times, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for misspend 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misspend was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near misspend

Cite this Entry

“Misspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misspend. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

misspend

verb
mis·​spend (ˈ)mis-ˈspend How to pronounce misspend (audio)
misspent -ˈspent How to pronounce misspend (audio) ; misspending
: waste entry 2 sense 3, squander
a misspent youth

More from Merriam-Webster on misspend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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