misspent

[ mis-spent ]

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of misspend.

adjective

1. spent wrongly or unwisely; wasted:

   misspent youth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of misspent¹

First recorded in 1425–75, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, officials in Nebraska have found that nearly 66% of the state’s unemployment money has been misspent on things like potentially fraudulent claims, payments to ineligible inmates and people receiving benefits from multiple programs.

From Ozy

The review found “the allegations were not credible and that no funds were misspent,” a district spokeswoman wrote in a letter to the editor.

From Voice of San Diego

Auditors for San Diego County – which previously provided several million dollars per year to the charity – found that as much as $1 million may have been misspent.

From Voice of San Diego

The legal review found the allegations were not credible and that no funds were misspent.

From Voice of San Diego

Earlier this week, VOSD’s Will Huntsberry told the story of community activist Roosevelt Blackmon, whose claim that Lincoln High School had misspent funds were vindicated more than a year after he began raising the issue.

From Voice of San Diego

And in 2008, a U.S. official told The Guardian that as much as 70 percent of U.S. military aid had been “misspent.”

From The Daily Beast

Misspent moments are so much of life and character thrown away; be careful to use them all in God's service.

From Project Gutenberg

This may appear for us a toilsome task, but if the reader be not fatigued also, our time will not be misspent.

From Project Gutenberg

Be silent, man, if you do not wish your sinful, misspent life to come to a sudden and violent end.

From Project Gutenberg

There is one way in which leisure is very generally misspent in school—and alas, outside, too!

From Project Gutenberg

And for me—I'm not that presoomtious to think I can square up a misspent life as a man might compound wi's creditors.

From Project Gutenberg