waste 1 of 3

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as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

waste

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verb

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waste

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb waste contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of waste are despoil, devastate, pillage, ravage, and sack. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

When would despoil be a good substitute for waste?

In some situations, the words despoil and waste are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When is it sensible to use devastate instead of waste?

Although the words devastate and waste have much in common, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

How are the words pillage and sack related as synonyms of waste?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

When is ravage a more appropriate choice than waste?

The words ravage and waste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

In what contexts can sack take the place of waste?

The synonyms sack and waste are sometimes interchangeable, but sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of waste
Noun
Nearby, medical waste had been dumped by the waters, and police had to rope the area off until it was cleaned up. Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025 As part of the JV, Ester also provides Loop with expertise in sourcing PET and polyester waste feedstocks in the local market. Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
But the Dodgers wasted an opportunity to do more, stranding two runners after back-to-back one-out walks. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025 Trump is wasting everyone's time with these meetings. Joshua Sammons, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The new anti-waste law aims to encourage buyers to repair their devices rather than replace them with new products. Chris Smith, BGR, 26 Feb. 2021 To boost that percentage, France passed an anti-waste bill last year mandating that electronics manufacturers make a repairability index visible on their products. Maddie Stone, Wired, 20 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for waste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste
Noun
  • New York City has already begun working with neighborhood groups and activating organizations who sign up to be notified before a big rain to clean debris like falling leaves and garbage from the sewer drains in their community.
    Amy Chester, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Check garbage collection schedules in Ohio Ohio's bigger cities won't see garbage trucks on Labor Day.
    Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The press and social media were quick to throw dirt on Las Vegas, like the still-undiscovered holes in the desert holding the remains of deceased mobsters.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • So like travelers on the desert stretch between San Diego and Phoenix, Padres fans may want to enjoy a celebratory date shake.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The dung that stuck to the fresco happened to form the shape of a rosette—a marvel in the eyes of the Florentines.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025
  • Elephants and other big beasts push over trees, trample vegetation underfoot, eat vast amounts of greenery and transport seeds in their dung, disassembling vegetation while unintentionally planting the beginnings of new habitats.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • The new location is in Tamarac, in a retail center at Commercial Boulevard and University Drive, anchored by Publix. CEO and founder Chris Johnson says demographics are driving the company’s expansion in the state.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
  • As K-pop revs up its global expansion, one of the sleepers is the bubbly girl group STAYC, whose songs possess a fun-house exuberance (The Theatre at M.S.G.; Oct. 21).
    Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The consequences can be severe: regulatory violations, data leakage, brand erosion and even systemic model failures.
    Abhi Sharma, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Earnings per share growth has plummeted, with further erosion projected due to elevated costs and discounting pressures.
    Michael Khouw, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Ignore for a moment that spending consecutive weeks in Ireland and England is likely to drain the team of energy.
    Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Beijing has long lacked the enforcement procedures to crack down on investors who spend at least half the year in China but evade a 20% tax on overseas income.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Her Altadena home and the surrounding community were ruined by the Eaton wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles in January.
    Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
  • But a sewer backup during this weekend's historic flood ruined 60 of the backpacks, Maya Bell reports.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But Goolsbee said Trump’s immigration crackdown likely has affected population growth and the jobs numbers, but that doesn’t mean the labor market has substantially weakened.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
  • This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.
    Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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