1
a
: a sparsely settled or barren region : desert
b
: uncultivated land
c
: a broad and empty expanse (as of water)
3
a
: loss through breaking down of bodily tissue
b
: gradual loss or decrease by use, wear, or decay
4
a
: damaged, defective, or superfluous material produced by a manufacturing process: such as
(1)
: material rejected during a textile manufacturing process and used usually for wiping away dirt and oil
cotton waste
(2)
: scrap
(3)
: an unwanted by-product of a manufacturing process, chemical laboratory, or nuclear reactor
toxic waste
hazardous waste
nuclear waste
c
: material derived by mechanical and chemical weathering of the land and moved down sloping surfaces or carried by streams to the sea
wasted; wasting
1
: to lay waste
especially
: to damage or destroy gradually and progressively
reclaiming land wasted by strip-mining
3
: to wear away or diminish gradually : consume
4
a
: to spend or use carelessly : squander
waste valuable resources
b
: to allow to be used inefficiently or become dissipated
a writer wasting her talent
5
: kill
also
: to injure severely
1
: to lose weight, strength, or vitality
—often used with away
was wasting away from illness
2
a
: to become diminished in bulk or substance
b
: to become consumed
3
: to spend money or consume property extravagantly or improvidently
1
2
: being in a ruined or devastated condition
3
a
: discarded as worthless, defective, or of no use : refuse
waste material
b
: excreted from or stored in inert form in a living body as a by-product of vital activity
waste products
4
[waste entry 1]
: serving to conduct or hold refuse material
a waste barrel
specifically
: carrying off superfluous water
a waste drain
5
Synonyms
Noun
Verb
- blow
- dissipate
- fiddle away
- fritter (away)
- lavish
- lose
- misspend
- run through
- spend
- squander
- throw away
- trifle (away)
Adjective
Examples of waste in a Sentence
Noun
The current system causes a lot of waste.
We need to find ways to reduce unnecessary waste.
These old computers are still useful. It seems like such a waste to throw them away.
Any further investment would be a waste of valuable resources.
The city oversees waste disposal contracts.
Verb
Don't waste water during the summer drought.
He always wasted his money on useless gadgets.
Turn off the lights so we don't waste electricity.
I think he's just wasting my time.
We can't afford to waste so much food.
We can't afford to waste this opportunity.
Adjective
waste acreage that was not fit for anything
Recent Examples on the Web
Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Starbucks wants to cut carbon footprint The move is part of Starbucks’s efforts to cut its carbon, water and waste footprint by 50% and update all customer packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.
—The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2024
The first 250 groups to enter the Zoo on each event date will take home a gallon bucket of Zoo Poo - compost created from waste collected at the Zoo including manure, bedding and food waste perfect to grow your garden or plant paradise.
—Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Nancy Sexton was elated when city crews cleared out more than 50 RVs in December that had been parked near her business for months, blocking parking spots and leaving behind trash and waste on Forest Lawn Drive.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Participants can recycle unwanted documents and electronic waste.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 15 Apr. 2024
Likewise, the documentary also sheds light on the human cost of fast fashion by looking to the landfills in Ghana, where textile waste from the west is polluting its bodies of water, something that's increased rapidly since fast fashion became the dominant clothing model.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
The feather-meat protein could help address at least one sustainability issue plaguing the food industry: excess waste.
—Leah Collins, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Councilmember Vivian Moreno said uncovering fraud and waste is so important that every effort must be made.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
The pitch was to stop wasting costly prison space on drug addicts and petty thieves convicted of non-violent crimes.
—John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Without establishing a clear scientific basis, Hastings said, being overly conservative about the size of ships that bridges should be designed to withstand could waste scarce resources.
—Júlia Ledur, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
DeShaun Foster flips balls into the air so his punt returners don’t waste any time in spring practice.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Or, having to waste time transfering your favorite products into travel bottles?
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
Here’s What to Know. April 12, 2024 Biden Administration Said to Expand Two California National Monuments
April 11, 2024
‘Food, Inc. 2’ Review: A Second Course
April 11, 2024
More climate news
The Washington Post has advice on how to save money and avoid wasting food.
—David Gelles, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024
As much as 3 million tons of poultry feathers are wasted each year in the EU alone, usually incinerated or dumped into landfill.
—Leah Collins, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The off-market buyers were Hollywood actor Chris Pratt and author Katherine Schwarzenegger, who wasted little time in demolishing the midcentury structure to make way for their own new Brentwood dream home—which is currently still in the early stages of construction.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022
Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
But for sheer novelty in this post-waste world, few companies may top Extract Energy.
—Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
For many of them, working at a high-growth company with a feel-good, anti-waste mission had felt like the pinnacle of their working lives.
—Lauren Weber, WSJ, 17 May 2021
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
One study shows that restaurants save $7 for every $1 invested in anti-waste methods.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2020
Reviving discarded clothing and giving it new life through painting and alterations, artist MI Legget goes against the grain and champions anti-waste values in the industry.
—Erin Parker, Glamour, 11 June 2020
Noun
Instead, practical fashion was dominated by little waste required in its production, epitomized by the rise of the woolen skirt suits for women.
—Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Starbucks wants to cut carbon footprint The move is part of Starbucks’s efforts to cut its carbon, water and waste footprint by 50% and update all customer packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.
—The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2024
The first 250 groups to enter the Zoo on each event date will take home a gallon bucket of Zoo Poo - compost created from waste collected at the Zoo including manure, bedding and food waste perfect to grow your garden or plant paradise.
—Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Nancy Sexton was elated when city crews cleared out more than 50 RVs in December that had been parked near her business for months, blocking parking spots and leaving behind trash and waste on Forest Lawn Drive.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Participants can recycle unwanted documents and electronic waste.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 15 Apr. 2024
Likewise, the documentary also sheds light on the human cost of fast fashion by looking to the landfills in Ghana, where textile waste from the west is polluting its bodies of water, something that's increased rapidly since fast fashion became the dominant clothing model.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
The feather-meat protein could help address at least one sustainability issue plaguing the food industry: excess waste.
—Leah Collins, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Councilmember Vivian Moreno said uncovering fraud and waste is so important that every effort must be made.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
For those who also feel as if their time has been wasted, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan track offers a succinct way to put your ex on blast.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
The pitch was to stop wasting costly prison space on drug addicts and petty thieves convicted of non-violent crimes.
—John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Without establishing a clear scientific basis, Hastings said, being overly conservative about the size of ships that bridges should be designed to withstand could waste scarce resources.
—Júlia Ledur, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
DeShaun Foster flips balls into the air so his punt returners don’t waste any time in spring practice.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Or, having to waste time transfering your favorite products into travel bottles?
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
Here’s What to Know. April 12, 2024 Biden Administration Said to Expand Two California National Monuments
April 11, 2024
‘Food, Inc. 2’ Review: A Second Course
April 11, 2024
More climate news
The Washington Post has advice on how to save money and avoid wasting food.
—David Gelles, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024
As much as 3 million tons of poultry feathers are wasted each year in the EU alone, usually incinerated or dumped into landfill.
—Leah Collins, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The off-market buyers were Hollywood actor Chris Pratt and author Katherine Schwarzenegger, who wasted little time in demolishing the midcentury structure to make way for their own new Brentwood dream home—which is currently still in the early stages of construction.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
Adjective
This anti-waste brand upcycles materials, and was founded by Kisa Sky Shiga.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022
Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
But for sheer novelty in this post-waste world, few companies may top Extract Energy.
—Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
For many of them, working at a high-growth company with a feel-good, anti-waste mission had felt like the pinnacle of their working lives.
—Lauren Weber, WSJ, 17 May 2021
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
One study shows that restaurants save $7 for every $1 invested in anti-waste methods.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2020
Reviving discarded clothing and giving it new life through painting and alterations, artist MI Legget goes against the grain and champions anti-waste values in the industry.
—Erin Parker, Glamour, 11 June 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waste.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to waste
Dictionary Entries Near waste
Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waste. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waste
1 of 3 noun1
a
: a region that has few people or is empty of most signs of life : desert
b
: uncultivated land
2
a
: the act or an instance of wasting
b
: the state of being wasted
3
a
: material left over, rejected, or thrown away
b
: an unwanted product obtained in the course of a manufacturing or chemical process
c
: material (as carbon dioxide in the lungs or urine in the kidneys) produced in and of no further use to the living body
waste
2 of 3 verb
wasted; wasting
1
: to destroy completely
2
: to wear away or grow smaller gradually
3
: to spend carelessly or uselessly : squander
4
: to lose or cause to lose weight, strength, or energy
illness caused her to waste away
Medical Definition
waste
2 of 3 verb
wasted; wasting
: to cause to shrink in physical bulk or strength : emaciate
: to lose weight, strength, or vitality
—often used with away
waste
3 of 3 adjective
: excreted from or stored in inert form in a living body as a by-product of vital activity
waste products
Legal Definition
waste
noun1
: destruction of or damage to property that is caused by the act or omission of one (as a lessee, mortgagor, or life tenant) having a lesser estate and is usually to the injury of another (as an heir, mortgagee, or remainderman) with an interest in the same property
an action for waste
—
ameliorating waste
\
ə-ˈmēl-yə-ˌrā-tiŋ-
\
: waste that leads to improvement of property (as by clearing the way for rebuilding something)
called also ameliorative waste
—
permissive waste
: waste caused by the failure of a tenant to take ordinary or proper care of the property
—
voluntary waste
: waste caused by the intentional commission of a destructive act by a tenant
2
: a reduction of the value of assets (as in a trust) caused by a failure to exercise proper care or sound judgment in managing them
especially
: a transfer of corporate assets (as through excessive executive compensation or a merger) for no legitimate business purpose or for less than what a person of ordinary sound business judgment would consider to be adequate consideration
the essence of a claim of waste of corporate assets is the diversion of corporate assets for improper or unnecessary purposes —Michelson v. Duncan, 407 A.2d 211 (1979)
Michelson v. Duncan, 407 A.2d 211 (1979) Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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