1
as in wastefulness
an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint
it seems like a waste to spend my entire paycheck on a bigger TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
gathered up the waste when he was finished sewing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
4
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
5
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
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
1
as in to spend
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
waste acreage that was not fit for anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Karla Cripps, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
Organizers can turn to technology platforms that monitor real-time ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics—such as carbon emissions, waste levels, and water use.
—Zoryana Zagorodnya, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2025
His staff didn’t waste any time dipping into the new player pool.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 15 June 2025
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
Noun
Last year, prosecutors in the city of Bijie, in Guizhou province, confirmed that more than 10 local karst caves were contaminated with household waste, sewage discharge and livestock farm waste following reports from environmentalists.
—Karla Cripps, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
Organizers can turn to technology platforms that monitor real-time ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics—such as carbon emissions, waste levels, and water use.
—Zoryana Zagorodnya, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Verb
But the decision to prosecute Runcie seems to be another example of how the DeSantis administration seems bent on stupidly wasting the taxpayers’ money.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2025
His staff didn’t waste any time dipping into the new player pool.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 15 June 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
-
In the first images of Read since her second trial, Fox News Digital exclusively captured the 45-year-old wheeling a garbage bin outside her Boston hotel.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
-
Seal garbage tightly in bags, and rinse out bottles and cans before placing in recycling bins.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Photo: Leo Fox A relative hotel desert until recent years, a crop of new addresses are cementing Valencia’s resurgence as a travel destination.—
Elizabeth Bennett,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
-
The biggest find on Tracks II is Inyo, a portrait of the California badlands, set in border towns, desert roads, and aqueducts, with the heavy influence of mariachi bands.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Ndebele art involves geometric motifs painted on the walls of houses using dung, limestone, red clays, soot, ash, and other natural pigments.—
Percy Zvomuya,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
-
But be careful not to hit any of the rodents or the rodent dung.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Four years ago advances were being made on many of the political issues popular with people whose political views ranged from progressive to centrist such as DEI, ESG, CSR, climate change, the expansion of alternative energy and foreign aid.—
David Hessekiel,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
With the funding approved through 2035, the expansion will shower as much as $1.5 billion in subsidies to Hollywood over the next decade.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Now, with the erosion impacting many Southern California beaches, including Lower Trestles, buildings are set behind the access road, Stapelberg noted.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
19 June 2025
-
This national recognition of the evils of slavery comes during a significant backlash against teaching American history, as well as an erosion of other civil rights, namely a rollback of voting rights in places that have high populations of Black voters.—
Jenny Singer,
Glamour,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Rempe is spending this summer training in the New York area.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
-
For the next five years, Daniele dug through MIT archives, spent time at libraries and visited Swallow’s birthplace in Dunstable, Mass.—
Gqlshare,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
-
And just like that, Donald Trump ruined something else.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
But in an unexpected ruling in 2023, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
-
Abandoning recognition can erode motivation, diminish engagement and make employees feel invisible, weakening the cultural fabric and undermining long-term resilience.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share