wasted

American  

[wey-stid] / ˈweɪ stɪd /

adjective

1. waste.

2. done to no avail; useless.

   wasted efforts.

3. physically or psychologically exhausted; debilitated.

   to be wasted by a long illness.

4. Slang. overcome by the influence of alcohol or drugs.

5. Archaic. (of time) gone by.

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wasted British  

/ ˈweɪstɪd /

adjective

1. not exploited or taken advantage of

   a wasted opportunity

2. useless or unprofitable

   wasted effort

3. physically enfeebled and emaciated

   a thin wasted figure

4. slang showing signs of habitual drug abuse

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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

Shareholders have cheered the decisions by Detroit automakers to scrap their boldest EV dreams—looking beyond $50 billion in charges tied to broken supplier contracts and wasted investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

And if AI agents are not kept on course by a human, they could misunderstand an instruction and wander down an errant processing path, resulting in a business paying for wasted computing power.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Governments have wasted no time in implementing preventative and emergency measures to stretch supplies and cushion the price shock but worryingly, she finds that signs of physical tightening are already apparent.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

There were too many weaknesses in Scotland's game, too many chances wasted, too many balls put on the deck, too much vulnerability in critical times in defence, too much passiveness in attack early on.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Seven had wasted so much time worrying and being anxious about being a Spare.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• ripped
• stoned
• tipsy