waste 1 of 3

1
2
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
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

waste

2 of 3

verb

1
2
3

waste

3 of 3

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
Composting: Level up your gardening expertise by recycling your yard waste. Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025 The group has attempted to paint a fuller picture of the footwear sector’s waste and emissions impact based on current, primary source data from Tier 1 producers in Asia, where most of the world’s shoes are produced. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 June 2025
Verb
New York wasted another strong outing from David Peterson, who pitched seven innings and allowed three runs. Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025 Pitching keeps the Rangers ‘around it’ This team is wasting one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 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
  • With the welcome citywide expansion of organic collection (brown bins) joining with paper (green bins) and metal, glass and plastic (blue bins), the remaining black bag garbage will be made of nonrecyclable items like those same thin plastics that Sims rejects that are used for wrapping or bags.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 June 2025
  • The teen was found dismembered in garbage bags in a remote area, NBC News previously reported.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, CA A chic escape for those looking to relax and recharge in the desert, Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa offers Functional Flow Yoga classes designed to enhance strength, mobility and balance through mindful movement.
    Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Early in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Predator and later Reaper drones armed with Hellfire missiles allowed pilots in dark bases in the Nevada desert to attack militant targets in the Middle East.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 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
  • The two-story, 135,000-square-foot expansion, designed by Generator Studio, will double the size of the facility and is expected to bring up to 1.5 million people through its doors annually, according to team estimates.
    Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
  • The 54-year-old already was overseeing a $60 billion expansion of the parks business before Abu Dhabi — Disney’s first new park since 2016 — was announced in May.
    Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • This pushes up the risks of flooding, landslides and soil erosion.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
  • While just above the conventional 0.05 threshold, this result suggests that the erosion of home-field advantage in Super Regionals may be more than anecdotal.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • After spending close to $300 million to return Trump to the White House, Musk was poised to have a major role in the administration and be in position to push through regulatory changes in ways that benefited his companies.
    Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 6 June 2025
  • The actor-writer-director, who is 31 and uses they/she pronouns, has spent the last decade or so as a niche internet presence, going viral periodically on Twitter (and then X) and TikTok with satirical front-facing videos and bone-dry one-liners.
    Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2025
  • The situation took a turn when Amy accidentally ruined her earbuds in the wash.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.
    Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.
    Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on waste

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!