Skip to content

dilapider

squander

verb dee-lah-pee-DEH Rare

Origin: from Latin dilapidare, 'to scatter stones'

Also means

waste

Usage Note

Dilapider always implies reckless or irresponsible spending of money or resources. The past participle dilapidé is used as an adjective (une fortune dilapidée, 'a squandered fortune'). The related noun dilapidation (f) appears in legal contexts for misappropriation of funds.

Examples

"Il a dilapidé tout son héritage en quelques mois."

Natural Translation

He squandered his entire inheritance in a few months.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic