Synonyms

misspent

American

[mis-spent] / mɪsˈspɛnt /

verb

simple past tense and past participle of misspend.

adjective

spent wrongly or unwisely; wasted.

misspent youth.

Etymology

Origin of misspent

First recorded in 1425–75, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She plans out every part of the trip to avoid even one misspent moment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

“There was no wrongdoing or things being hidden or money misspent or being stolen. What he’s saying, there’s nothing of that, you know?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

It believes that much of that funding has been misspent.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2025

Beutner said it was important not to wait, because it will be hard to claw back for students money that has already been misspent.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2024

“This can’t be the first time an unauthorized person misspent money.”

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023