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
No, the Beltway creatures and their friends in the echo-chamber media contend, Elon Musk and DOGE are cutting waste and fraud in all the wrong ways. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 13 Mar. 2025 Heat is produced by burning wood waste and chips, sourced from the nearby forests. Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
There's not an unmemorable line reading, not one physical movement wasted. EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025 When the public thinks its cash is being wasted, governance loses legitimacy. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 1 Mar. 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
  • People will be painting, planting trees, spreading mulch and cleaning up garbage starting at 9 a.m.
    Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Other videos on social media show people picking up food scraps from the garbage.
    Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Saguaro National Park Before The Summer Heat Arrives Arizona’s deserts are at their most comfortable during spring, with daytime highs around 70–80°F.
    Emese Maczko, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The 2025 Indian Wells Open will kick off this week in the California desert, where the best players in the world will be taking the court.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Here’s some of what the inspector found: About nine pieces of rodent dung in the lobby behind the drink station counter.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Hundreds of barefoot pilgrims undertook a parikrama one morning, picking around heaps of cow dung dotting the road.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • But recent court filings suggest the company’s expansion may have been accompanied by financial hardship.
    David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The federal government pays 90% of the costs of Idaho’s Medicaid expansion.
    Sarah Cutler and, Idaho Statesman, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Long-term use of high-dose vitamin C may cause additional problems, like tooth enamel erosion and allergic reactions.5 Large amounts of vitamin C may also contribute to kidney stones.
    Brittany Lubeck, MS, RDN, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The erosion of glacial slopes also heightens the likelihood of floods, landslides and avalanches, increasing the risk to millions living in mountain communities.
    Kathleen Magramo and Esha Mitra, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Fei, determined, spends the next 20 years performing throughout Southeast Asia in search of him.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The average in-state student attending a public four-year institution and living on campus spends $27,100 for one academic year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
    James Barlow, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
  • During the 2020 election campaign, Trump said the AFFH rule would ruin the suburbs by forcing more affordable housing.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In an all-staff e-mail, Dudek wrote: Criticism, contempt, stonewalling, and defensiveness are the four forces that can end any relationship and weaken any institution. . .
    E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Signing Verdugo now would give the Yankees one less option to fill the Stanton void and weaken their lineup even more.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

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