misspend
Use money poorly
To misspend is to spend money, time, or resources unwisely or wastefully.
The word carries moral weight—suggesting not just poor judgment but squandered opportunity: a misspent youth, misspent funds.
The past tense misspent appears more often than the infinitive, usually in rueful retrospect: He looked back on his misspent years.
Use up carelessly
- wasteUnwanted discarded material
- fritterFried batter cake
- dissipateGradually fade away
- blowMove air forcefully
splurge · burn through · deplete · exhaust · drain · consume · lavish · profligate
Distribute to wrong place
- misapplyUse incorrectly
- mismanageHandle duties poorly
- divertCause to change course
- embezzleSteal funds in custody
misappropriate · maladminister · misuse · misdirect · funnel · siphon · redirect · pilfer
Carelessly ignoring danger
- imprudentLacking careful forethought
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- thoughtlessShowing no consideration
- heedlessCareless of consequences
unwise · foolish · shortsighted · negligent · incautious · rash · impulsive · frivolous
Being without something
- deficitAmount still owed
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
- bankruptcyLegal status when insolvent
- insolvencyInability to pay debts
debt · depletion · impoverishment · penury · hardship · ruin · downfall · deprivation
Guilt for wrongdoing
- rueFeel deep remorse
- lamentMournful expression of grief
- regretSorrow over past actions
- guiltMoral self-reproach
contrition · repentance · self-reproach · hindsight · lost time · missed opportunities · could have been · looking back
squander
Use up carelessly
blow · splurge · burn through · deplete · exhaust · drain · consume · lavish · profligate · spendthrift
misallocate
Distribute to wrong place
embezzle · misappropriate · maladminister · misuse · misdirect · funnel · siphon · redirect · pilfer · peculate
reckless
Carelessly ignoring danger
- imprudentLacking careful forethought
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- thoughtlessShowing no consideration
heedless · unwise · foolish · shortsighted · negligent · incautious · rash · impulsive · frivolous · indiscreet
loss
Being without something
- deficitAmount still owed
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
- bankruptcyLegal status when insolvent
insolvency · debt · depletion · impoverishment · penury · hardship · ruin · downfall · deprivation · insufficiency
remorse
Guilt for wrongdoing
guilt · contrition · repentance · self-reproach · hindsight · lost time · missed opportunities · could have been · looking back · if only
- payingpay, payment plan, pay up, pay out, pay off
misspendsave
Protect from loss
invest · put to good use · conserve · economize · budget
misspendinvest
Commit resources for gain
put to good use · make the most of · utilize · leverage · maximize