waste
/weɪst/
noun
- Unwanted or unusable material, substances, or things that are left over after a process or activity.
- Please put your waste in the recycling bin, not the trash.
- The city is working on a plan to reduce household waste.
- The factory produces a lot of waste that must be disposed of safely.
- The act of using something carelessly or without good purpose, resulting in loss or inefficiency.
- Leaving the lights on all night is a waste of electricity.
- The project was a complete waste of money because it never worked.
- It's a waste of time arguing with someone who won't listen.
- A large area of land that is empty, barren, or not used for anything productive.
- After the fire, the forest became a charred waste.
- They traveled across a frozen waste in search of shelter.
- The desert is a vast waste with very little plant life.
verb
- To use or expend something carelessly, extravagantly, or without good result.
- She wasted the opportunity to study abroad by not applying on time.
- He wasted his entire paycheck on video games.
- Don't waste water while brushing your teeth.
- To fail to take advantage of an opportunity or resource.
- I wasted my chance to meet the author because I arrived late.
- We wasted a perfect sunny day by staying indoors.
- The team wasted a three-goal lead and lost the game.
- To become gradually weaker, thinner, or less in amount over time.
- Without proper food, the sick animal began to waste away.
- His muscles wasted after months of being in a cast.
- The drought caused the crops to waste in the fields.
Synonyms
adjective
- Left over as unwanted or unusable; relating to material that is no longer needed.
- Waste products from the factory are treated before being released.
- They found a way to turn waste heat into energy.
- The waste paper was collected for recycling.
- Not used for any purpose; barren or empty.
- The waste ground was turned into a community garden.
- They camped on a waste stretch of beach with no facilities.
- The waste land behind the old factory is overgrown with weeds.