wasteful
Americanadjective
-
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.
adjective
-
tending to waste or squander; extravagant
-
causing waste, destruction, or devastation
Other Word Forms
- unwasteful adjective
- unwastefully adverb
- unwastefulness noun
- wastefully adverb
- wastefulness noun
Etymology
Origin of wasteful
Explanation
Someone who's wasteful uses and disposes of things carelessly. A wasteful child might eat two bites of yogurt and then throw the rest of the container away. You can be wasteful with your money, spending too much of it on unimportant things. Some people are wasteful with food, ordering too much at a restaurant and leaving most of it on the plate. It's possible to be wasteful with almost anything that you squander without thinking about, including electricity or heat or even your own creative energy. The Latin root of waste is vastus, "empty or desolate."
Vocabulary lists containing wasteful
Fear and Loathing in Cleveland: Trump's RNC Acceptance Speech
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Finding Langston
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
So Far from the Bamboo Grove
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The White House and Vought’s office declined to comment, but the administration has argued the agency was needlessly aggressive and wasteful.
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
“I have to read my students’ work to see if I can discern telltale signs of AI use, which is a very frustrating and wasteful way to spend time.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
This by itself wouldn’t be a terrible thing, given that an overreliance on wasteful lending contributed to the imbalances China now must resolve.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
For Suetsugu, the findings highlight how cooperation in nature can arise from processes that initially appear wasteful or unsuccessful.
From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026
“I’ve got a crock of lettuce fer you, Jeth, though I’m terr’ble wasteful in pickin’ it too young.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
