as in extravagant
given to spending money freely or foolishly
my one wasteful child always seemed to run out of money by midweek
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Recent Examples of wasteful
The use of plastics is also hugely wasteful, as plastic waste is very difficult to decompose in nature, leading to microplastics.
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 May 2026
Over the same stretch, by contrast, only Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr (four) has been more wasteful with big chances than West Ham’s Taty Castellanos (three).
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 23 May 2026
To do otherwise would be wasteful.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
The football game directive came about a week after Ingoglia held a press conference criticizing Alachua County — where UF’s campus is located — for excessive or wasteful spending to the tune of $84 million over five years, claiming the budget grew by 77%.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wasteful
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 May 2026
Over the same stretch, by contrast, only Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr (four) has been more wasteful with big chances than West Ham’s Taty Castellanos (three).
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 23 May 2026
To do otherwise would be wasteful.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
The football game directive came about a week after Ingoglia held a press conference criticizing Alachua County — where UF’s campus is located — for excessive or wasteful spending to the tune of $84 million over five years, claiming the budget grew by 77%.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wasteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasteful
Adjective
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The nurturing Moon centers your 2nd House of Finances as a supportive trine links to extravagant Jupiter in your 10th House of Career today beautifully.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
-
Despite her reluctance, Ava decides to show up for her best friend, and the two embark on an extravagant European trip that involves driving stick shift in the streets of Paris, high-end dining, shopping and clubbing until dawn.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The measure is clearly a state limit on profligate local governments’ ability to raise taxes.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Young Canvot’s error against AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park in late October, a game in which Palace were profligate — the story of their season — meant they were beaten by the Cypriot side.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Your generous spirit shines when plans feel fair, so speak confidently and listen fully until both of you feel supported.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2026
-
The main residence carries an old-world hacienda rhythm, with open corridors, generous gathering spaces and a central kitchen and dining area made for breezes, long lunches and slow afternoons.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 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
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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
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These three prodigal sons helped to pull the team from a perilous position in the qualification table to finish as group winners.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Hal had taken risks Kate thought were reckless.—
Debora Cahn,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Many savings and loans, retail banks created by quirks in banking law decades earlier, made reckless investments when the Fed’s high interest rates in the early 1980s crushed their traditional business.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Rayshawn Cox, 32, was cited on suspicion of careless driving resulting in death and two counts of careless driving causing serious bodily injury, Wheat Ridge police spokesperson Alex Rose said.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
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Notre Dame’s dominance has been highlighted by relentless fundamentals and limited errors, the perfect antidote to Syracuse’s free-flowing and occasionally careless approach.—
Tribune News Service,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent that was joined by her fellow liberal justices, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
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His candidacy has drawn national attention as a barometer for dissatisfaction with liberal urban governance and because of viral videos that supporters created with artificial intelligence.—
MIchael R. Blood,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasteful. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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