wastrel

noun

wast·​rel ˈwā-strəl How to pronounce wastrel (audio)
 also  ˈwä-
1
2
: one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently : profligate

Examples of wastrel in a Sentence

the black sheep of the family, he ended up being a wastrel and a drunkard
Recent Examples on the Web Atay lingers on the outskirts, keeping the company of workers and wastrels, poets and drunks—all those who refuse the monumental transformations of Turkish society. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024 Casting is everything; Minghella arranges for his most handsome performer, Jude Law, to play Dickie Greenleaf, the wealthy wastrel whom Ripley (Matt Damon) slays and then seeks to replace. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024 The aforementioned wastrel friend, now a drug dealer, asks Mike to do him a favor: Deliver a briefcase of pot to a hotel room. Time, 11 Aug. 2023 The always-entertaining Bruce Turk steals all his scenes as Ranevskaya’s spoiled and wastrel brother, Leonid Gayev. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for wastrel 

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

Word History

Etymology

irregular from waste entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wastrel was circa 1841

Dictionary Entries Near wastrel

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

wastrel

noun
wast·​rel ˈwā-strəl How to pronounce wastrel (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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