trifle away

Her heroines, having trifled away the early chapters, take on striking new dimensions as war approaches and their sons head to the front, some never to return.

It serves to modify the sense of certain verbs by adding that of removal, loss, parting with, etc.; as, to throw away; to trifle away; to squander away, etc.

I have trifled away life—hated it at times; but now I will begin to live.

Can it be that these Don Quixote prototypes, who trifled away their frivolous days in lady-worship so trivial, did anything to help the Prince to take Cinderella from the ashes?

My dinner concluded, I trifled away the time till about ten o’clock, and then went to bed.