waster

noun

wast·​er ˈwā-stər How to pronounce waster (audio)
1
a(1)
: one that spends or consumes extravagantly and without thought for the future
(2)
: a dissolute person
b
: one that uses wastefully or causes or permits waste
a procedure that is a waster of time
c
: one that lays waste : destroyer
2
: an imperfect or inferior manufactured article or object

Examples of waster in a Sentence

He has been called a waster of taxpayers' money. He thinks every meeting is a big time waster.
Recent Examples on the Web California is moving to outlaw watering some grass that’s purely decorative Today, the lawn is among the biggest wasters of water in our urban environment — by some estimates accounting for more than half of the gallons used by city residents each year. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024 Food waste contributes 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the United States is the world’s biggest waster. Caitlin Babcock, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2024 On a per-person basis, Americans are in the top ranks of global food wasters. Corinne Iozzio, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024 When the city of Sacramento decided to crack down on water wasters in late March, inspectors handed out more than 350 citations in less than two days. Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for waster 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waster.' 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 at sense 1a(1)

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

Dictionary Entries Near waster

Cite this Entry

“Waster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waster. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

waster

noun
wast·​er ˈwā-stər How to pronounce waster (audio)
: one that uses or uses up carelessly or needlessly
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!