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Waste Very Common

Waste has 19 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Adjective

Definitions
Noun
1

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

"they collect the waste once a week"

"much of the waste material is carried off in the sewers"

2

useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly

"if the effort brings no compensating gain it is a waste"

"mindless dissipation of natural resources"

3

the trait of wasting resources

"a life characterized by thriftlessness and waste"

"the wastefulness of missed opportunities"

4

an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation

"the barrens of central Africa"

"the trackless wastes of the desert"

5

(law) reduction in the value of an estate caused by act or neglect

"The executor was sued for waste after he let the historic mansion fall into disrepair, slashing its market value before the sale."

6

Excess of material, useless by-products or damaged, unsaleable products; garbage; rubbish.

"The recycling center asked us to separate any plastic waste from our household trash before the pickup truck arrived."

In plain English: Waste is something useless that you throw away because it has no value anymore.

"We should not let all that good food go to waste."

Verb
1

spend thoughtlessly; throw away

"He wasted his inheritance on his insincere friends"

"You squandered the opportunity to get and advanced degree"

2

use inefficiently or inappropriately

"waste heat"

"waste a joke on an unappreciative audience"

3

get rid of

"We waste the dirty water by channeling it into the sewer"

4

run off as waste

"The water wastes back into the ocean"

5

get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing

"The mafia liquidated the informer"

"the double agent was neutralized"

6

spend extravagantly

"waste not, want not"

7

lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief

"After her husband died, she just pined away"

8

cause to grow thin or weak

"The treatment emaciated him"

9

cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly

"The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion"

10

become physically weaker

"Political prisoners are wasting away in many prisons all over the world"

11

to devastate, destroy

"The relentless storm waste the coastal village, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake."

In plain English: To waste is to use time, money, or energy foolishly so that nothing good comes from it.

"Don't waste time arguing about something so small."

Adjective
1

located in a dismal or remote area; desolate

"a desert island"

"a godforsaken wilderness crossroads"

"a wild stretch of land"

"waste places"

2

Uncultivated, uninhabited.

"The surveyor marked the vast waste of land beyond the canyon as unsuitable for farming or building."

In plain English: Waste describes something that is not useful or has no value.

"That was a waste of time."

Usage: Use this adjective to describe land that has been abandoned or left uncultivated rather than actively used for farming or living. It often appears in phrases like "waste ground" to emphasize the barren and unused nature of an area.

Example Sentences
"That was a waste of time." adj
"We should not let all that good food go to waste." noun
"Don't waste time arguing about something so small." verb
See Also
garbage trash rubbish refuse sewage throw away throw junk
Related Terms
garbage trash rubbish refuse sewage throw away throw junk byproduct left toxic wasted fritter away destroy boondoggle waste tray dilapidation rejectamenta devastavit urination
Antonyms
husband
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
material activity improvidence wilderness act use discard run kill spend weaken enfeeble destroy devolve
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
impurity exhaust body waste filth sewage effluent garbage pollutant rubbish slop toxic waste boondoggle waste of effort waste of material waste of money waste of time extravagance squandering heath burn drink fritter luxuriate lavish overspend splurge ruin necrose

Origin

The word "waste" comes from the Middle English term for an empty or barren place. It ultimately traces its roots to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be empty."

Rhyming Words
ste este baste piste teste paste poste coste leste taste liste juste caste beiste snaste oreste chaste triste trieste untaste
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