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.
This playbook has protected wasteful spending for decades. Mark Merritt, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025 Is the packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful? Lily Wohlner, Allure, 10 Oct. 2025 Yes, Wirtz only has one assist to show for his 10 Liverpool appearances so far (in August’s Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace), but that is partly explained by his team-mates being wasteful. James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 The administration says this cuts wasteful spending and will create a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals. Selina Wang, ABC News, 8 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 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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