To waste time, money, or opportunities by spending them on many small, unimportant things over a period of time.
To slowly waste something valuable — like money or time — on lots of little things that don't matter.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To waste money by spending it gradually on many small, unimportant things.
"She frittered away her savings on clothes and takeaways without realising how much she'd spent."
He had frittered away the family money.
— George Orwell, 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' (1936)
To waste time or opportunities by spending them on trivial activities rather than productive ones.
"He frittered away the entire afternoon scrolling through social media."
Historically, 'fritter' referred to breaking into small pieces — the idea is of something being broken into trivial fragments and wasted.
To slowly waste something valuable — like money or time — on lots of little things that don't matter.
Used in both British and American English. Frequently used with 'money', 'time', 'savings', 'energy', and 'opportunities'. The word 'fritter' alone can carry the same meaning but the phrasal form with 'away' is more common.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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