wasteful

[ weyst-fuhl ]
See synonyms for: wastefulwastefullywastefulness on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. devastating or destructive: wasteful war.

Origin of wasteful

1
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at waste, -ful

Other words from wasteful

  • waste·ful·ly, adverb
  • waste·ful·ness, noun
  • un·waste·ful, adjective
  • un·waste·ful·ly, adverb
  • un·waste·ful·ness, noun

Words Nearby wasteful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wasteful in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wasteful

wasteful

/ (ˈweɪstfʊl) /


adjective
  1. tending to waste or squander; extravagant

  2. causing waste, destruction, or devastation

Derived forms of wasteful

  • wastefully, adverb
  • wastefulness, 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