1
as in wastefulness
an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint
it seems like a waste to spend my entire paycheck on a bigger TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
gathered up the waste when he was finished sewing
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3
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended
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4
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal
a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste
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5
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day
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6
as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to spend
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
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2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
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3
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
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as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
waste acreage that was not fit for anything
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of waste
Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
When batteries are crushed in bins or waste trucks, fires can result.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Heidi Cope, Health, 3 Apr. 2026
Managers waste hours re-explaining things.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
But for sheer novelty in this post-waste world, few companies may top Extract Energy.
—Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for waste
Noun
The restaurants serve seasonal organic soups, salads and sandwiches, and have a low-waste ethos.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
When batteries are crushed in bins or waste trucks, fires can result.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
So even if the number does not budge much, the effort is rarely wasted.
—Heidi Cope, Health, 3 Apr. 2026
Managers waste hours re-explaining things.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
But for sheer novelty in this post-waste world, few companies may top Extract Energy.
—Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for waste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste
Noun
-
McGinn wants passes crisp fired into him and, with Villa’s best passer, Youri Tielemans, coming back to full fitness, the previous wastefulness in the final third may be remedied for good.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Gabriel also acknowledged lawmakers’ responsibility to oversee state spending seriously as well, and would be scrutinizing government programs for wastefulness.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Down where the Pigeons toiled, two-foot piles of garbage cluttered blocks lined with storage-unit facilities, budget hotels, abandoned RVs and parking lots sealed with rusted razor wire.—
TIM CRAIG THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Her body was found wrapped in blankets and garbage bags in the bed of a second-story room.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As well as acting as a bulwark against the desert’s encroachment, the greenery is intended to improve agricultural conditions and reduce political unrest in the area, and will act as a carbon sink, Gizmodo reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Previously, Cassidy worked for the Arizona Republic covering Phoenix police, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and desert-area crime and mayhem.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yes, unfortunately, the ancient Irish did burn cow dung to heat their homes when peat was too expensive or not available.—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Of course, the flue was closed, so the fire licked up the walls, left a smell like the fall, like ancient smokehouses and dung.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The centerpiece of the expansion, which was led by the architects Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, in collaboration with the firm Cooper Robertson, is an atrium that snaps right onto the side of the flagship building.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Maryland case often is cited as justification for an expansion of DNA collection.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There *are* signs of erosion among his base.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Hess said residents raised concerns about erosion, litter, fire risk and nuisance activity.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Factor in a tax multiplier for those who repeatedly spend past the salary cap, and payroll expenses can include hundreds of millions in taxes.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
How in the world had my mother, a young Black woman and the eldest of four, raised by two parents who had never finished high school in a segregated town in southwestern Louisiana, spent a summer in Europe in the 1960s?—
Shayla Martin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Talley went long with an 8-iron into a back bunker on the 12th, the hole that ruined Jordan Spieth's chances of a repeat Masters victory in 2016.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The multiple mistresses ruined his image; the countless injuries derailed his golf game.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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