wasteful
Americanadjective
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given to or characterized by useless consumption or expenditure.
wasteful methods; a wasteful way of life.
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grossly extravagant; prodigal.
a wasteful party.
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devastating or destructive.
wasteful war.
adjective
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tending to waste or squander; extravagant
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causing waste, destruction, or devastation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of wasteful
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at waste, -ful
Explanation
Someone who's wasteful uses and disposes of things carelessly. A wasteful child might eat two bites of yogurt and then throw the rest of the container away. You can be wasteful with your money, spending too much of it on unimportant things. Some people are wasteful with food, ordering too much at a restaurant and leaving most of it on the plate. It's possible to be wasteful with almost anything that you squander without thinking about, including electricity or heat or even your own creative energy. The Latin root of waste is vastus, "empty or desolate."
Vocabulary lists containing wasteful
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These grants are often wasteful on their own, but they also make it easier for fraudsters to get their hands into the piggy bank.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
But his LinkedIn lists him as a communications director for DOGE, Elon Musk’s failed effort to cut wasteful government spending.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
The group has told donors that it offers “near-term and longer-term protection against wasteful government spending and any and all new taxes on personal property and personal assets.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
He has long disparaged what he considers the wasteful, zero-sum speed race of high-frequency trading.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Fortunately, the people of 12 have never been wasteful.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
