wasteful

adjective

waste·​ful ˈwāst-fəl How to pronounce wasteful (audio)
: given to or marked by waste : lavish, prodigal
wastefully adverb
wastefulness noun

Examples of wasteful in a Sentence

a wasteful use of natural resources a careless and wasteful person We must eliminate wasteful expenditures.
Recent Examples on the Web Rooting out wasteful city spending: The city attorney should rigorously review real estate deals, contracts and memorandums of understanding in which the city is a party to ensure that taxpayers are protected and the city is being efficient with its money. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be? Finishing the wall, defending the Texas oil and gas industry from overregulation, and cutting wasteful government spending are three big priorities for me, but every issue flows from enforcing the rule of law. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 But the information-gathering efforts provide a blueprint for how a legislative agenda billed as a campaign against wasteful spending and liberal bias has ballooned into one that potentially targets any campus activity or course acknowledging diversity, race, or gender. Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 The hanging pots are large enough to fit nearly any plant — from shady pothos to fragrant bunches of basil — and the solid metal frame is designed to last. Find it on Amazon Amazon Basics Silicone Baking Mats Still using wasteful parchment paper or non-stick sprays when baking meals? Rebecca Martinson, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2024 Just recently, Senator Rand Paul identified over $900 billion in wasteful government spending that ranged from COVID relief fraud to a $2.7 million grant to study Russian cats walking on a treadmill. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024 Crucially, the bill also ends a wasteful COVID-era program, saving taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2024 That would be wasteful and would give the military way too much economic power. Dominic Pino, National Review, 30 Jan. 2024 Notorious examples of wasteful spending led Congress to nix earmarks in 2011. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wasteful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wasteful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wasteful

Cite this Entry

“Wasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteful. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wasteful

adjective
waste·​ful ˈwāst-fəl How to pronounce wasteful (audio)
: given to or marked by waste : prodigal
a wasteful use of our natural resources
wastefully adverb
wastefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wasteful

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