wasteful

[weyst-fuhl]

adjective

1. given to or characterized by useless consumption or expenditure.

   wasteful methods; a wasteful way of life.

2. grossly extravagant; prodigal.

   a wasteful party.

3. devastating or destructive.

   wasteful war.

wasteful

/ ˈweɪstfʊl /

adjective

1. tending to waste or squander; extravagant

2. causing waste, destruction, or devastation

Other Word Forms

• wastefully adverb
• wastefulness noun
• unwasteful adjective
• unwastefully adverb
• unwastefulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wasteful¹

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

Example Sentences

But paying several hundred dollars for accommodations when free lodging existed felt wasteful to her.

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Van Veen's hard work looked to be in vain as he missed five match darts, but Humphries was equally wasteful and fell to a fourth consecutive loss to the Dutchman.

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He says that while distinguishing between "useful" and "wasteful" handouts is important, it is only by extracting promises during elections that the poor in India get anything at all from their political representatives.

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It may not be enough to prevent a lot of wasteful corporate investment, and it definitely doesn’t apply to private artificial-intelligence developers, but it’s a sign that the market isn’t completely unhinged.

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Agency for International Development, which it has described as wasteful and unnecessary.

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Related Words

• careless 
• destructive 
• extravagant 
• lavish 
• profligate 
• reckless