misspent

verb

past tense of misspend
as in spent
to use up carelessly warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspent
  1. spent
  2. lost
  3. wasted
Verb
  • Steinem spent 11 days working undercover as a bunny in Manhattan's Playboy Club and documenting her experience.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Steinem spent her final years continuing to write, her representatives noted Thursday, including her forthcoming book An Unexpected Life.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of spent
Verb
  • So the announcement arrives that Paul Baker lost the election, meaning nobody has to move out, and Anton and Paul Baker share their big kiss.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The club has had Los Angeles in its name since 2005, when the City of Anaheim sued the team and lost in civil court.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of lost
Verb
  • Spraying the whole plant—the leaves and stems—means some water is being wasted because plants need water near their roots.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Those particular fans in Cleveland who wasted precious hours of their lives Saturday afternoon at an NFL preseason game, then booed Deshaun Watson throughout his time on the field?
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of wasted
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.

Browse Nearby Words

misspends
misspent
misspoke
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misspent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspent. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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