waste
verb (used with object)
to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander.
had wasted
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past perfectof waste.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
“She told me she had completely cut off her mom,” says Sherlock, 29, a certified public accountant in Lakeville, Minn. “And that she had wasted all of her 30s on a man.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The judge said Vines had "wasted" decades of his life in his pursuit of Maitlis, adding his obsession "has tortured him without release".
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025
The Dodgers had wasted a golden opportunity to come back in the eighth, coming up empty even after getting the go-ahead runs on second and third base with no outs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2025
In a survey of people currently on GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, 25% of respondents agreed they had wasted more food since taking the drugs, compared to 61% who disagreed.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 21, 2024
“Oh” was all she said, and she turned away, sighing at all the work she had wasted.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
