Synonyms of scattering

scattering 1 of 2

noun

ˈska-tə-riŋ 

1

as in dispersion

an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered

the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dispersion
• dispersal
• dissipation
• diffusion
• dissemination
• disbandment
• split
• breakup
• dissolution
• separation
• disunion

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• concentration
• collection
• assembly
• gathering

2

as in handful

a small number

a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

scattering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of scatter

1

as in dispersing

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

the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dispersing
• dissipating
• dispelling
• isolating
• squandering
• segregating
• separating
• disbanding
• diffusing
• splitting (up)
• clearing out
• disseminating
• parting
• spreading
• diverging
• breaking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collecting
• gathering
• assembling
• concentrating
• clustering
• congregating
• ingathering
• agglutinating
• uniting
• unifying
• conglomerating

2

as in spraying

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

• spraying
• sprinkling
• dotting
• peppering
• strewing
• dusting
• sowing
• spotting
• bestrewing
• drizzling
• speckling
• flecking
• studding
• dappling
• blanketing
• spattering
• stippling
• bespattering

3

as in dissipating

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

• dispersing
• dissipating
• disappearing
• fading
• dissolving
• disassembling
• evaporating
• spilling
• dividing
• melting
• diverging
• separating
• disbanding
• forking
• fleeing
• branching (out)
• going (away)
• clearing
• breaking up
• evanescing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gathering
• meeting
• congregating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scattering

Noun

The Gators are returning two full-time starters on the offensive line (Knijeah Harris and Caden Jones, bless them), who will be surrounded by a scattering of transfers. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

Part of that prep includes the scattering of limbs and bodies, which are made by House of the Dragon’s very busy prosthetics team headed up by designer Waldo Mason. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Verb

Labor Day atop the last of the Titan-Centaur rockets, belching orange flame into the clear blue skies and scattering birds and other wildlife. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026

The 36-year-old cruised through seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out seven batters. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026