1 C1 idiomatic formal
To waste time or money through carelessness or slovenly behavior.
"He had slatternly frittered and slatternly away every penny his father left him."
inseparable
slattern away
C1 formal inseparable transitive
An archaic or dialectal expression meaning to waste time, money, or resources in a slovenly or careless way.
In plain English
To waste your time or money carelessly and messily (a very old-fashioned phrase).
What does "slattern away" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To behave like a slattern (an untidy, careless person) with something until it is gone.
Actually means
To waste your time or money carelessly and messily (a very old-fashioned phrase).
Usage tip
Archaic and extremely rare. Derived from 'slattern', an old word for a slovenly or untidy woman. Modern speakers would not use this phrase; 'fritter away' or 'squander' are the natural alternatives.
Words that pair with "slattern away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
time money hours resources fortune
How to conjugate "slattern away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
slattern away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
slatterns away
he/she/it
Past simple
slatterned away
yesterday
Past participle
slatterned away
have + pp
-ing form
slatterning away
continuous
Hear "slattern away" in the wild
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