squander
v.v. to waste something that is valuable, like money, time, or talent. You use this when someone spends resources in a way that is not careful or useful.
v. to waste or misuse something valuable, such as money, time, or opportunity. Often implies a lack of foresight or a failure to utilise resources effectively.
He decided to squander his inheritance on expensive cars.
The company nearly went bankrupt because the board chose to squander their capital on unnecessary luxury projects.
While some critics argued the artist had squandered his early promise, his later works demonstrated a profound maturity that eventually earned him international acclaim.
Earliest uses (late 16th c.) "to spend recklessly or prodigiously", also "to scatter over a wide area". Of unknown origin. Perhaps a blend of scatter + wander. Compare Danish skvætte (rare)/skvatte (“to splash”) (nominalised: skvæt), Icelandic skvetta (“to squirt”), Swedish skvätta (“to splash”), Norwegian Bokmål skvette.