waster

noun

wast·​er ˈwā-stər 

1

a(1)

: one that spends or consumes extravagantly and without thought for the future

(2)

: a dissolute person

b

: one that uses wastefully or causes or permits waste

a procedure that is a waster of time

c

: one that lays waste : destroyer

2

: an imperfect or inferior manufactured article or object

Synonyms

• fritterer
• high roller
• prodigal
• profligate
• spender
• spendthrift
• squanderer
• wastrel

Examples of waster in a Sentence

He has been called a waster of taxpayers' money.

He thinks every meeting is a big time waster.

Recent Examples on the Web

California is moving to outlaw watering some grass that’s purely decorative Today, the lawn is among the biggest wasters of water in our urban environment — by some estimates accounting for more than half of the gallons used by city residents each year. —Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024

Food waste contributes 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the United States is the world’s biggest waster. —Caitlin Babcock, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2024

On a per-person basis, Americans are in the top ranks of global food wasters. —Corinne Iozzio, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024

When the city of Sacramento decided to crack down on water wasters in late March, inspectors handed out more than 350 citations in less than two days. —Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

waster

noun

wast·​er ˈwā-stər 

: one that uses or uses up carelessly or needlessly