wasted
Americanadjective
-
done to no avail; useless.
wasted efforts.
-
physically or psychologically exhausted; debilitated.
to be wasted by a long illness.
-
Slang. overcome by the influence of alcohol or drugs.
-
Archaic. (of time) gone by.
adjective
-
not exploited or taken advantage of
a wasted opportunity
-
useless or unprofitable
wasted effort
-
physically enfeebled and emaciated
a thin wasted figure
-
slang showing signs of habitual drug abuse
Other Word Forms
- unwasted adjective
- wastedness noun
Etymology
Origin of wasted
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; waste, -ed 2
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.
"All the money the council has wasted over the last seven years and the £300,000 they are now committing to spending is part of a vanity project," O'Donovan said.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
A report by Kenya's auditor general last year found more than $260 million had been wasted just on penalties and interest from late debt payments.
From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026
The couple wasted no time snapping up a new home after they sold the four-bedroom, five-bathroom Toluca Lake, Calif., dwelling they purchased from fellow actor Kiefer Sutherland in 2022 for $8 million.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
Milton has wasted little time embarking on his second act.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Mama wasted no time in packing up their things once the undertaker had left with Aunt Rose’s body.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
