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
James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
Quality—durable products reduce waste and offer better value.
—Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 9 May 2025
Camille Freestone, Glamour, 13 May 2025
But Kyle Farmer grounded into a double play to end the game, wasting Dollander’s gem and ending Schaeffer’s managerial debut on a sour note after Bud Black was fired on Sunday.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 May 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
While specific sources of hydrogen sulfide were not named, demolition landfills can include drywall waste, which often contains sulfur that emits a rotten-egg smell when wet.
—James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
Quality—durable products reduce waste and offer better value.
—Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 9 May 2025
Verb
Don’t waste money splurging on something for a wedding rehearsal dinner that’ll only end up at the back of your closet, never to be seen again.
—Camille Freestone, Glamour, 13 May 2025
But Kyle Farmer grounded into a double play to end the game, wasting Dollander’s gem and ending Schaeffer’s managerial debut on a sour note after Bud Black was fired on Sunday.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 May 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
-
Any actor that’s been working for over three decades has a giant garbage bag filled of pilots.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
-
Bears are generally solitary, shy animals but are food-driven and often find easy meals in garbage bins.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
This film, set in 1956, hops between the Palazzo Korda, its protagonist’s cavernous mansion, and different quarters of Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia, a vague Middle Eastern nation that’s depicted as an array of deserts, warring factions, and colonial outposts.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
-
By Kate Sullivan, Bloomberg Donald Trump beamed from the passenger seat of a golf cart as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took the wheel and personally whisked the US president to a desert oasis dinner in an ancient city.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The dung heap is being dismantled by a scrum of hermit crabs.—
Kevin Gepford,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Ancient Egyptians also revered dung beetles because the rolling of the dung balls reminded them of the sun god rolling the sun across the sky, according to the Israel Museum.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
New York’s expansive use of eminent domain needed and still needs reining in, not expansion.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2025
-
The explosions in Amritsar - the first heard there in the three-day-old conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors - could mark a further expansion in the hostilities that have alarmed world powers.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
This real-value erosion means the federal poverty line has overtaken the garnishment floor.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
The work would repair a slope with severe erosion damage in an open area between Caminito Bassano East and Hillside Drive.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
Residents of the 8th Congressional District spend an average of 13% of their household income on energy — the highest in the state, according to Department of Commerce data.—
Tom Olsen,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2025
-
Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
-
But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
In Colorado, for example, several AI companies recently lobbied to delay and weaken the state’s landmark AI accountability legislation — a preview of what unchecked industry influence could look like under a regulatory freeze.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Their backing from the youngest voters weakened in 2024 (Catalist).—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share