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

Most backyards work best with one anchor feature plus one or two supporting elements rather than a scatter of unrelated add-ons. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Allure’s guide to permanent makeup describes artists placing individual dots and adjusting size, placement and darkness to produce a natural scatter across the nose and cheeks. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026

Verb

According to California Health and Safety Code, scattering human cremains without the proper authorization can lead to a fine of up to $10,000, up to one year in county jail or both. — Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Dramatic dashcam footage shows the plane speeding straight down toward the street before exploding on impact, scattering debris all over the road and a nearby mobile home community. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026