WASTEFUL Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

wasteful

adjective

ˈwāst-fəl

Definition of wasteful

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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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 Tightening accountability, closing loopholes, and ending wasteful corporate handouts would generate revenue without raising taxes on working families. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026 The current system — in which the federal government taxes a state’s residents and then gives some of that money back to fund programs that the states already administer — is convoluted and wasteful. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026 Bring up the unnecessary and wasteful government programs that should be eliminated. — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026 Conservative officials and activists have increasingly portrayed home care as wasteful and rife with fraud. — Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wasteful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasteful

Adjective

Sleek and extravagant, Rosewood Abu Dhabi provides a dramatic welcome, with architecture that calls to mind an undulating desert.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Known for its dark humor and groundbreaking CGI, Death Becomes Her astounds with ornate design detail and extravagant furnishings.

— Kelly Allen, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of extravagant

Adjective

Bournemouth were profligate, despite scoring through Marcus Tavernier and forcing a Malick Thiaw own goal, with multiple first-half chances wasted.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
This shift occasioned the profligate production that would mark her oeuvre, with Kusama going on to make hundreds of paintings in which forests of lines and dots cradled variously floral and phallic figures.

— News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of profligate

Adjective

The rooms Rooms are clean and bright, content to sit back, relax, and let the killer oceanfront views do much of the work where possible; first order of business are massive windows and glass doors leading out onto generous balconies.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Before going to bed, Joy leaves out a generous spread of midnight snacks packed full of chicken for the guests, who stay up late.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of generous

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
The bottom line was that the Trust was not a spendthrift trust under Illinois law.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Definition of spendthrift

Adjective

Whether or not Hal was right to entice Zoe (upon whose shoulders the carnage ultimately falls), his decision to circumvent the Guardians’ chain of command is what ultimately leads to countless deaths and his imprisonment for reckless endangerment.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
They would be purchased with such reckless abandon that your biggest fear would be a three-day rally that took stocks up 40%.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of reckless

Adjective

She was involved in a bankruptcy case in 2013, arrested on suspicion of careless driving in 2021, and arrested in 2023 on suspicion of domestic violence and battery.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Digger follows greedy, careless Digger as his company inadvertently catalyzes a disaster with global repercussions—then, whoopsie, sets off another for good measure.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of careless

Adjective

The conservative majority did not explain their order, while the three liberal members signed a dissent that said Pike’s claims deserved a closer look.

— Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Digger is lambasted by his half sister, Emma (Sandra Hüller), a superficially liberal-minded Shiv Roy type, with her own eco-friendly initiative.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of liberal

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“Wasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasteful. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wasteful

adjective

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