wasteful

[weyst-fuh l]

See more synonyms for wasteful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

given to or characterized by useless consumption or expenditure: wasteful methods; a wasteful way of life.
grossly extravagant; prodigal: a wasteful party.
devastating or destructive: wasteful war.

Origin of wasteful

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at waste, -ful

Related formswaste·ful·ly, adverbwaste·ful·ness, nounun·waste·ful, adjectiveun·waste·ful·ly, adverbun·waste·ful·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for wasteful

Contemporary Examples

Two-thirds agree that “government is usually inefficient and wasteful.”
Hey, Boomers—Millennials Hate Your Partisan Crap
Nick Gillespie
July 10, 2014
Though with budget cuts now looming, Congress is trying to gut some of those benefits while wasteful programs go untouched.
The U.S. Military Is a Socialist Paradise
Jacob Siegel
April 21, 2014
The most interesting part of eccentricity may be just how wasteful it usually is.
The World According to an Eccentric
Justin Green
April 26, 2013
If those 3s turn into 2's and 1's, then it will be clear that this whole program was a giant, wasteful mess.
Solyndra 2.0
Megan McArdle
April 2, 2013
In search of wasteful government spending, Eric Cantor sets his pants on fire.
Sequester Misfire: Eric Cantor’s World of Warcraft Nonsense
John Avlon
February 25, 2013

Historical Examples

Wasteful, too, this cooking of food for two and only one to eat it.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
In fact, her mind had never been overwhelmed by a wasteful torrent of learning.
Tales And Novels, Volume 5 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
The openings of the war were gloomy and wasteful, without glory.
Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, Complete
Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre
And of all means to regeneration Remorse is surely the most wasteful.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
From our standpoint they may have been wasteful methods, but they did get results.
Higher Education and Business Standards
Willard Eugene Hotchkiss

British Dictionary definitions for wasteful

wasteful

adjective

tending to waste or squander; extravagant
causing waste, destruction, or devastation

Derived Formswastefully, adverbwastefulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for wasteful

adj.

14c., from waste (n.) + -ful. Related: Wastefully; wastefulness.

wasteful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}wasteful

Related Words

Examples from the Web for wasteful

Contemporary Examples

Two-thirds agree that “government is usually inefficient and wasteful.”

Though with budget cuts now looming, Congress is trying to gut some of those benefits while wasteful programs go untouched.

The most interesting part of eccentricity may be just how wasteful it usually is.

If those 3s turn into 2's and 1's, then it will be clear that this whole program was a giant, wasteful mess.

In search of wasteful government spending, Eric Cantor sets his pants on fire.

Historical Examples

Wasteful, too, this cooking of food for two and only one to eat it.

In fact, her mind had never been overwhelmed by a wasteful torrent of learning.

The openings of the war were gloomy and wasteful, without glory.

And of all means to regeneration Remorse is surely the most wasteful.

From our standpoint they may have been wasteful methods, but they did get results.

wasteful

Word Origin and History for wasteful

adj.

Origin of wasteful