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
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
Photo: Brown Harris Stevens Above the bedroom is a double-height library, which turns the sloping ceiling behind a mansard roof into a design feature rather than a space waster.
—
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 24 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for waster 
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.
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 24 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for waster
Dictionary Entries Near waster
Cite this Entry
“Waster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waster. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waster
noun
wast·er
ˈwā-stər 
: one that uses or uses up carelessly or needlessly
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share