wasteful

adjective

waste·​ful ˈwāst-fəl How to pronounce wasteful (audio)
: given to or marked by waste : lavish, prodigal
wastefully adverb
wastefulness noun

Examples of wasteful in a Sentence

a wasteful use of natural resources a careless and wasteful person We must eliminate wasteful expenditures.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This knitwear brand doesn’t follow the traditional (often wasteful) fashion cycle, and instead continuously adds to an ongoing collection ideal for any season or aesthetic. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2024 When there’s a void in responsibility, filmmaking can become a very exploitative, wasteful and even dangerous activity. Jamie Lang, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024 The plan accepts Western fatigue, that its armament production cannot keep pace, and that its values are wasteful. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024 Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been driving viral discussions about wasteful federal spending the incoming Trump Administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans to tackle. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wasteful 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wasteful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wasteful

Cite this Entry

“Wasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteful. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wasteful

adjective
waste·​ful ˈwāst-fəl How to pronounce wasteful (audio)
: given to or marked by waste : prodigal
a wasteful use of our natural resources
wastefully adverb
wastefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wasteful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!