waste 1 of 3

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as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

waste

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verb

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waste

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb waste contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of waste are despoil, devastate, pillage, ravage, and sack. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

When would despoil be a good substitute for waste?

In some situations, the words despoil and waste are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When is it sensible to use devastate instead of waste?

Although the words devastate and waste have much in common, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

How are the words pillage and sack related as synonyms of waste?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

When is ravage a more appropriate choice than waste?

The words ravage and waste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

In what contexts can sack take the place of waste?

The synonyms sack and waste are sometimes interchangeable, but sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of waste
Noun
Warren also wants to eliminate or substantially reduce funding for the Charter Schools Program, which was designed to provide federal grants for charter schools but which the Government Accountability Office has found mismanages and wastes most of its funding. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025 New York is suffering from an ever-growing waste crisis. Ryan Castalia, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
Who wants to waste time and money at the rental shop just to flail down the mountain on subpar skis? Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2025 Carini didn’t waste any time getting involved in sports, starting to compete in Jiu-Jitsu as a three-year-old and turning to wrestling as an 8-year-old. Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
The new anti-waste law aims to encourage buyers to repair their devices rather than replace them with new products. Chris Smith, BGR, 26 Feb. 2021 To boost that percentage, France passed an anti-waste bill last year mandating that electronics manufacturers make a repairability index visible on their products. Maddie Stone, Wired, 20 Feb. 2021 See all Example Sentences for waste 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste
Noun
  • When a garbage man showed up this week, Ms. deVicariis was overjoyed after days of cleaning up vegetation.
    Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The 55-year-old super’s body was found hidden under Navarro’s bed wrapped in clothing and two garbage bags, one covering his top half, the other covering his lower half.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The desert city, oasis or hellhole or both, can’t help but bounce back.
    Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Camila Alves McConaughey was a desert vision on her recent date with husband Matthew McConaughey.
    Dayna Haffenden, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Hundreds of barefoot pilgrims undertook a parikrama one morning, picking around heaps of cow dung dotting the road.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 5 Jan. 2025
  • With antivenom hard to find in rural areas, some snakebite victims pay traditional healers with a chicken or a small goat to apply herbs, bones and even dung.
    Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The objective is not only to dismantle prior ACA expansions but to also introduce a system that significantly alters the health care landscape.
    Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Organizations might find a need for a rapid ramp-up in hiring due to new product launches or seasonal or regional expansion needs.
    Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The audience needs to grasp the systemic factors that made Auschwitz possible: The totalitarian system, the terror, the erosion of humanity, and the promotion of opportunism.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
  • This was meant to symbolize both the cycle of rebirth and the inevitable erosion of memory.
    Natalia Romik / Madę by History, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Bryant spent many of his formative years in Italy, as his father Joe decided to take his playing career to Europe after leaving the Houston Rockets in 1983.
    Ben Church, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Ellis spent more than 31 years behind bars before Nassau County Judge Patricia Harrington tossed his conviction in 2021.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • While that’s still below 1% of all luggage handled, try explaining that statistic to the family whose weekend away with the kids has been ruined by lost luggage.
    Duncan Madden, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • With rising conflicts and weakened diplomacy, the global order is set to fragment in 2025, intensifying economic volatility.
    Sarwant Singh, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Beijing has also been working to repair ties with American allies like Japan to try to weaken the security alliances forged by the Biden administration to constrain China.
    David Pierson, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near waste

Cite this Entry

“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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