Scatter — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈska-tər/ scat·ter

Meaning & Definition of Scatter

Scatter (verb)

  1. to cause to separate widely
  2. to cause to vanish
  3. to fling away heedlessly, squander

Scatter (noun)

  1. the act of scattering
  2. a small quantity or number irregularly distributed or strewn about, scattering
  3. the state or extent of being scattered; especially, dispersion

Scatter (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a small number

    "played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium"

    similar: couple, few, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle, sprinkling
    related: minority, atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit
    opposite: army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion
    near: majority, most, abundance, excess, plenty, surplus, deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack, wad, wealth

Scatter (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart

    "the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons"

    similar: clear out, disband, dispel, disperse, dissipate, squander
    related: break up, isolate, part, segregate, separate, split (up), diffuse, disseminate, diverge, spread
    opposite: assemble, cluster, collect, concentrate, congregate, gather, ingather
    near: agglutinate, conglomerate, unify, unite

  2. to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on

    "the hillside was scattered with boulders deposited by the last ice age"

    similar: bestrew, dot, pepper, sow, spot, spray, sprinkle, strew
    related: blanket, drizzle, dust, stud, dapple, fleck, speckle, stipple, bespatter, spatter

  3. to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole

    "these drunken revelers will quickly scatter when the police arrive"

    similar: disassemble, disperse, dissipate, dissolve
    related: branch (out), break up, disband, diverge, divide, fork, separate, spill, clear, disappear, evanesce, evaporate, fade, flee, go (away), melt
    near: congregate, gather, meet

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Scatter

The most common words with a similar meaning to Scatter:

couple, few, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle, sprinkling, clear out, disband, dispel, disperse, dissipate, squander, bestrew, dot, pepper, sow, spot, spray, strew, disassemble, dissolve

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Scatter

Words with the opposite meaning of Scatter:

army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion, assemble, cluster, collect, concentrate, congregate, gather, ingather

Related Words for Scatter

minority, atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, break up, isolate, part, segregate, separate, split (up), diffuse, disseminate, diverge, spread, blanket, drizzle, dust, stud, dapple, fleck

Near Antonyms of Scatter

majority, most, abundance, excess, plenty, surplus, deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack, wad, wealth, agglutinate, conglomerate, unify, unite, meet

Word Forms of Scatter

Inflections: scattered, scattering, scatters

Derived words: scatterer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Scatter

Middle English scateren, schateren to disperse, break up, destroy; akin to Middle Dutch schaderen to scatter

First known use: 13th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Scatter

scatter diagram, scatter rug, scatter cushion

Frequently Asked Questions about Scatter

What does "Scatter" mean?

"Scatter" means to cause to separate widely. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to cause to separate widely. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Scatter"?

Other words for "Scatter" include couple, few, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle and sprinkling. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Scatter" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Scatter"?

There are 69 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Scatter". Common alternatives include couple, few, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle, sprinkling, clear out and disband.

What is the opposite of "Scatter"?

Antonyms of "Scatter" include army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion and kazillion. Near antonyms include majority, most, abundance and excess.

How do you use "Scatter" in a sentence?

Examples of "Scatter" in a sentence: "played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium"; "the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons"; "the hillside was scattered with boulders deposited by the last ice age".

Is "Scatter" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Scatter" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Scatter"?

"Scatter" is pronounced /ˈska-tər/ and divided into syllables as scat·ter.

What is the origin of the word "Scatter"?

"Scatter" comes from Middle English scateren, schateren to disperse, break up, destroy; akin to Middle Dutch schaderen to scatter. First known use: 13th centuryt.