wasted
Americanadjective
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done to no avail; useless.
wasted efforts.
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physically or psychologically exhausted; debilitated.
to be wasted by a long illness.
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Slang. overcome by the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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Archaic. (of time) gone by.
adjective
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not exploited or taken advantage of
a wasted opportunity
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useless or unprofitable
wasted effort
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physically enfeebled and emaciated
a thin wasted figure
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slang showing signs of habitual drug abuse
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wasted
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at 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.
Mora said he didn’t want all that fruit to be wasted so he opted for the giveaway.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
The letter ensures that "time isn't wasted in a place where there is no expectation of recovering people alive," he told AFP.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
“I think the lawsuits that these states bring around conditions in facilities that are housed in their state are something that has given these companies a lot of anxiety and wasted time,” Gupta said.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026
In Paris, “Franklin wasted no time, hiring a French cook and stocking his cellar with over a thousand bottles of wine.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
Anya decided she had wasted enough time on a creature that might not even be real.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
