Synonyms of scatter

scatter 1 of 2

noun

as in handful

a small number

played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words

• handful
• couple
• few
• scattering
• sprinkle
• smattering
• sprinkling
• smatter
• minority
• fragment
• atom
• grain
• molecule
• shred
• particle
• whit
• modicum
• jot
• iota
• tittle
• crumb
• scrap

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• many
• loads
• flock
• thousands
• multitude
• mountain
• army
• crowd
• most
• horde
• host
• majority
• legion
• excess
• abundance
• scads
• surplus
• oodles
• plenty
• zillion
• gazillion
• pile
• quantity
• heap
• mass
• jillion
• stack
• wealth
• lot
• pot
• kazillion
• profusion
• peck
• slew
• raft
• deal
• wad
• reams
• plenitude
• gobs
• slather
• much

scatter

2 of 2

verb

ˈska-tər 

1

as in to disperse

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

the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disperse
• dispel
• dissipate
• squander
• disband
• isolate
• segregate
• clear out
• diffuse
• split (up)
• disseminate
• separate
• spread
• part
• diverge
• break up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collect
• gather
• concentrate
• assemble
• congregate
• cluster
• conglomerate
• unite
• ingather
• unify
• agglutinate

2

as in to spray

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spray
• sprinkle
• dot
• pepper
• strew
• sow
• dust
• spot
• bestrew
• drizzle
• stud
• speckle
• blanket
• fleck
• spatter
• dapple
• stipple
• bespatter

3

as in to dissipate

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disperse
• dissipate
• disappear
• fade
• dissolve
• disassemble
• evaporate
• divide
• spill
• disband
• diverge
• melt
• fork
• separate
• flee
• branch (out)
• break up
• clear
• go (away)
• evanesce

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gather
• meet
• congregate

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb scatter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scatter are dispel, disperse, and dissipate. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

When could dispel be used to replace scatter?

The meanings of dispel and scatter largely overlap; however, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

In what contexts can disperse take the place of scatter?

The words disperse and scatter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

Where would dissipate be a reasonable alternative to scatter?

In some situations, the words dissipate and scatter are roughly equivalent. However, dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scatter

Noun

The structures bend, scatter, and actively manipulate the direction of light. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 May 2026

The Smugglers Run riders must make a critical choice as the trio of starships filled with the bounty scatter in three different directions. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 26 May 2026

Verb

Marie painted a wooden panel white, dipped a belt in acrylic paint and struck the surface again and again, leaving marks scattered across the piece like scars and welts. —Nia Dumas, NPR, 16 June 2026

The major told me that many Soviet gas masks can still be found scattered in the bush. —Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026