as in extravagant
given to spending money freely or foolishly
my one wasteful child always seemed to run out of money by midweek
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 wasteful
Violations or wasteful water use could result in a fine.
—
Olivia Young, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Slash the bureaucracy in the California Department of Education, cut wasteful spending and direct those funds toward providing resources directly to both school districts and parents.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 May 2026
Many of the systems City Hall operates on are decades old, wasteful and clearly not working.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wasteful
Olivia Young, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Slash the bureaucracy in the California Department of Education, cut wasteful spending and direct those funds toward providing resources directly to both school districts and parents.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 May 2026
Many of the systems City Hall operates on are decades old, wasteful and clearly not working.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wasteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasteful
Adjective
-
The extravagant villa took a decade to build and was completed in 2018, crafted by architect and designer Peter Marino.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
From cheeky shots of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger to extravagant, sensual portfolios of America’s Olympic squads, the magazine’s pantheon of photographers have helped to define the genre of sports portraiture.—
Kahina Sekkaï,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Both sides had chances in a quieter second half but Brentford especially was profligate in front of goal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But profligate spending wasn’t the only way inflation weighed on bonds.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Clarify the goal, assign the next step, and keep the tone generous.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
For families Aside from generous room and suite sizes, there are the simple things like kids menus at the restaurants and a cute farm animal stuffie for children to select at check-in.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
In many states, including Maryland, debtors may exempt substantial assets from bankruptcy, including retirement accounts, spendthrift trusts and substantial equity in real estate (unlimited in Texas).—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
-
To prevent this from occurring, parents can create an estate plan that ultimately places a spendthrift child’s inheritance into a trust that regulates how much the child can take out.—
Ty Bernicke,
Forbes.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That day, Cox donned a Braves uniform and seemed like nothing so much as a prodigal son come home.—
Mark Bradley for the AJC,
AJC.com,
9 May 2026
-
The prodigal player has returned.—
John Davis,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
America’s reckless military adventure continues.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
Tottenham began to tire and Tel was ultimately punished for his reckless boot in his own box.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
After an almost year-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office charged Pino with three misdemeanor counts of careless boating resulting in death.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
-
Dahlin earned another interference penalty later, and Zucker’s roughing penalty was careless.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lean into that savory flavor with a liberal pour of olive brine.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
-
The liberal mind is fascinating.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasteful. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
