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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The frustration helped spawn the fruitless and wasteful 2021 attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom — which cost taxpayers more than $200 million — and fuels the perennial fantasy of a breakaway rural state called Jefferson. Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 3 July 2025 Some onlookers have criticized the initiative as costly and wasteful. Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2025 Fossil fuel industry lobbyists and fringe political figures have argued that the policies that helped create the fastest increase in renewable electricity generation in U.S. history are wasteful and unnecessary, even as oil and gas drillers continue to qualify for their own federal incentives. Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 Because the reality is there are over 100 million sharks being killed every year for wasteful things like shark finning for shark and soup, shark fishing, shark culling. Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wasteful

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

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Cite this Entry

“Wasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteful. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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