wasting (away) 1 of 2

noun

Definition of wasting (away)next
as in failing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

wasting (away)

2 of 2

verb

present participle of waste (away)
as in weakening
to lose bodily strength or vigor the tuberculosis resulted in her simply wasting away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting (away)
  1. failing
  2. weakening
  3. worsening
  4. fading
  5. deterioration
  6. sagging
  7. sinking
  8. going
Noun
  • Less deeply, English football’s song of choice is ‘Football’s Coming Home’, a tragicomic ode to the national team’s failings at major tournaments for the past 60 years.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • The boot camp fosters an environment where students feel comfortable failing, said Saint Juste, 20, who will attend Kennesaw State University in the fall.
    — Francesca Pinney, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • But the horrible jobs data suggests the central bank may have to think about weakening consumer spending as well.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuit comes just after Missourians overwhelmingly voted against weakening the initiative petition process.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakening
Noun
  • The filing is backed by a Phase 3 study that showed the drug resulted in significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival over standard chemotherapy, along with delayed worsening of pain and quality of life.
    — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 23 July 2026
  • While alcohol may transiently improve mood and ease social anxiety, long-term alcohol use can lead to a worsening of mood, cognition and sleep, which can further compound use.
    — Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • That's particularly true given a rising risk of JetBlue underperforming on RASM and the fading likelihood of its consolidation with other airlines, Godyn said.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That workplace is fading, and the controls have not kept pace.
    — Houman Akhavan, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of fading
Noun
  • Apoorvanand says that stance reflects a broader deterioration of democratic norms over the past decade.
    — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2026
  • The character's physical and spiritual deterioration is part of what drew Nam in.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of deterioration
Verb
  • Loss of collagen can lead to wrinkles, sagging, and changes in skin texture.
    — Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Without comprehending what was happening, Kikuko looked up at the sagging skin of her father’s throat.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sagging
Noun
  • More than 3,000 families in the complex were affected by the quake, residents estimate, and most of the buildings were damaged, with some crushed, tilted, or sinking.
    — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2026
  • News of the body recovery piqued wide interest in light of the sinking of the Volare, a 49-foot three-story vessel that capsized July 14 near Alcatraz.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
Definition of sinking
Verb
  • For one thing, going from lush period imagination to realist contemporary drama was a big leap by design.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Crimes against society, including prostitution, drug and weapons offenses, decreased slightly, going from 278 incidents last year to 227 incidents so far this year.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of going
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.

Browse Nearby Words

wasting
wasting (away)
was (to)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wasting (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting%20%28away%29. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All