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squander one's abilities

[ˈskwɒndər wʌnz əˈbɪlɪtiz]
verb phrase
desperdiçar as suas capacidades
1. to waste or misuse one's talents, skills, or potential through carelessness or poor choices
He squandered his abilities by refusing to pursue higher education.
Ele desperdiçou as suas capacidades ao recusar-se a prosseguir com estudos superiores.
2. to fail to make good use of one's natural gifts or developed competencies
She felt she was squandering her abilities working a dead-end job.
Ela sentia que estava desperdiçando as suas capacidades trabalhando num emprego sem futuro.
NYC Slang
waste your game
Synonyms
waste one's talentsthrow away one's potentialmisuse one's giftsfail to utilize one's skillsneglect one's talents
Antonyms
realize one's potentialdevelop one's abilitiesmaximize one's talentsput one's skills to good usefulfill one's capabilities

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desperdiçar as suas capacidades
most common form in Brazilian Portuguese
Brazil
jogar fora o seu potencial
alternative colloquial expression
Portugal
desperdiçar os seus dons
preferred form in European Portuguese
Portugal
malgastar as suas capacidades
formal alternative in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

throw one's talents away
bury one's talent
let one's light shine under a bushel
cast pearls before swine
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