waste
gb/wˈeɪst/ us/wˈeɪst/
A2
English
~ 2700
hulladék, szemét, pazarol, pazarlás, időpazarlás, pénzkidobás, lesoványodott
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is waste
The factory produces a lot of chemical waste.
A gyár sok vegyi hulladékot termel.
Please put your food waste in the compost bin.
Kérlek, tedd az ételmaradékot a komposztálóba.
Electronic waste is a growing environmental problem.
They are finding new ways to recycle plastic waste.
Learner examples
The bin is full of waste.
A kuka tele van szeméttel.
We must not throw waste in the street.
Nem szabad szemetet dobni az utcára.
This machine reduces food waste.
They burn the waste at the plant.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'waste' (unwanted material) with 'waste' (to use carelessly). Context helps to distinguish them.
Meaning
Unwanted or unusable material
Collocations
waste disposal
|waste management
|reduce waste
|waste collection
|hazardous waste
Synonyms
garbage (More common in North American English for household waste; less formal.)
Antonyms
resource (Something useful or valuable, the opposite of unwanted material.)
Themes
environment
|daily life
|business
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Things that are not wanted and are thrown away.
Material that is no longer needed and is discarded because it has no use.
VERB
A2
2
pazarol
B1
Usage pattern:
to waste [something] on [something/someone]
Don't waste your time arguing with him.
Ne pazarold az idődet azzal, hogy vele vitatkozol.
She wasted a lot of money on clothes she never wore.
Rengeteg pénzt pazarolt olyan ruhákra, amelyeket soha nem hordott.
We can't afford to waste energy during the winter.
He wasted his talent on a job he hated.
Learner examples
Don't waste water when you wash dishes.
Ne pazarold a vizet mosogatás közben.
She wasted all her money on toys.
Minden pénzét játékokra pazarolta.
We waste too much paper at school.
He wasted his chance to win.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'waste' (to use badly) with 'spend' (neutral). 'Spend' is not always negative.
Meaning
Use carelessly or without benefit
Collocations
waste time
|waste money
|waste resources
|waste energy
Synonyms
squander (More formal and often used for money or opportunities.)
Antonyms
conserve (To use something carefully so it lasts longer.)
Themes
daily life
|business
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Definition
To use something in a bad way so that it is lost.
To use time, money, energy, or other resources in a careless or unnecessary way so that they are lost or not used effectively.
NOUN
A2
3
It would be a waste of time to try again.
Időpazarlás lenne újra megpróbálni.
Throwing away good food is such a waste.
Jó ételt kidobni nagy pazarlás.
The meeting was a total waste of resources.
Learner examples
The trip was a waste of money.
Az utazás pénzkidobás volt.
This game is a waste of time.
Ez a játék időpazarlás.
Selling the car now is a waste.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this noun sense with the physical-material noun sense; here it is about the act, not the object.
Meaning
Unnecessary use of something valuable
Collocations
a waste of time
|a waste of money
|a complete waste
Synonyms
misuse (Focuses more on wrong or improper use rather than simply careless loss.)
Antonyms
efficient use (Using something in the best possible way.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Definition
When something valuable is used in a bad way and lost.
An act or instance of using something valuable carelessly or without purpose.
B2
4
The patient looked pale and wasted after months in bed.
A beteg sápadtnak és lesoványodottnak tűnt, miután hónapokig ágyban feküdt.
He was wasted by the long illness.
A hosszú betegség teljesen lesoványította és legyengítette.
Learner examples
She looks wasted after the sickness.
A betegség után nagyon lesoványodottnak látszik.
He became wasted from hunger.
Az éhezéstől teljesen lesoványodott.
The old man was wasted by disease.
Meaning
Thin and weak from illness or hunger
Collocations
waste body
|waste appearance
Synonyms
emaciated (More formal and medical term for extremely thin due to illness.)
Antonyms
healthy (Having good health and normal strength.)
Themes
health
|body
Definition
Very thin and weak because of being sick or not having enough food.
Physically thin, weak, and unhealthy, often due to illness or lack of food over time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
waste
IPA
GB/wˈeɪst/
US/wˈeɪst/
Syllables & stress
waste (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (waste)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: waste
Noun
- Base: waste
- Plural: waste, wastes
Verb
- Base: waste
- 3rd Person Singular: wastes
- Present Participle: wasting
- Past: wasted
Word family
Forms
wastes
noun
wasting
verb
wasted
verb
Core family
wasteful
adjective B2
Related words
wastefully
adverb
wastefulness
noun
Advanced or less common
wastage
noun
Expressions
a waste of space
1/ə wˈeɪst əv spˈeɪs/
idiom
informal
Useless person or thing
Someone or something that is useless and takes up space.
Examples
- That broken printer is just a waste of space.
- He's such a waste of space—he never helps with anything.
go to waste
1/ɡˈoʊ tə wˈeɪst/
idiom
Be unused and spoiled/lost
To not be used and therefore be lost or ruined.
Examples
- Don't let those apples go to waste—make a pie!
- His skills went to waste in that boring job.
lay waste to
1/lˈeɪ wˈeɪst tə/
idiom
literary
Destroy completely; devastate
To completely destroy something so that nothing is left.
Examples
- The hurricane laid waste to the coastal towns.
- The army laid waste to the enemy's land.
waste away
1/wˈeɪst əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
Become thin and weak from illness/hunger
To slowly become very thin and weak because of sickness or lack of food.
Examples
- She wasted away after months in hospital.
- The dog was wasting away when they found it.