wasteful
gb/wˈeɪstfəl/ us/wˈeɪstfəl/
B2
English
pazarló, pénzpazarló, költekező, anyagpazarló
B2
1
pazarló
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is wasteful (with/of) [resource]
Leaving the lights on all day is wasteful.
Pazarló dolog egész nap égve hagyni a lámpákat.
The old system is wasteful because it uses a lot of water.
A régi rendszer pazarló, mert sok vizet használ.
It felt wasteful to throw away food that was still good.
Learner examples
It is wasteful to use so much paper.
Pazarló dolog ennyi papírt használni.
Don’t be wasteful with water.
Ne pazarold a vizet.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse wasteful (describes a person/thing) with wasted (used up or not used well).
Meaning
using more than needed
Collocations
wasteful habits
|a wasteful way to do something
|wasteful practices
|wasteful use of water
|wasteful use of energy
|wasteful use of resources
|wasteful consumption
|wasteful behavior
|wasteful process
|wasteful lifestyle
Synonyms
inefficient (Emphasizes not using resources effectively.)
|
careless (Emphasizes lack of attention leading to waste.)
|
extravagant (Often suggests waste through excess, especially in lifestyle.)
Antonyms
efficient (Uses resources well with little waste.)
|
economical (Uses only what is needed; avoids waste.)
Themes
daily_life
|business
|environment
Definition
Using too much of something and not being careful with it.
Using more time, money, energy, or other resources than is necessary, especially in a careless or inefficient way.
B2
2
pénzpazarló
B2
költekező
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is wasteful with [money/public funds]
The report criticized the agency for wasteful spending.
A jelentés a hivatal pazarló költekezését bírálta.
Buying new equipment every year is wasteful when the old machines still work.
Pénzpazarlás minden évben új berendezéseket venni, amikor a régi gépek még működnek.
He realized his late-night online shopping was becoming wasteful.
Learner examples
That plan is wasteful and costs too much.
Az a terv pénzpazarló, és túl sokba kerül.
She is not wasteful with her money.
Nem bánik pazarlóan a pénzével.
Common mistake:
Wasteful describes spending that is unnecessary; expensive can be wasteful, but not everything expensive is wasteful.
Meaning
spending money unnecessarily
Collocations
wasteful spending
|wasteful use of funds
|wasteful purchase
|wasteful expenses
|wasteful investment
|wasteful government spending
|wasteful budget decisions
|a wasteful policy
|wasteful projects
|wasteful habits with money
Synonyms
profligate (Stronger and more formal; suggests recklessly spending.)
|
extravagant (Focuses on luxury/excess rather than simple inefficiency.)
Antonyms
thrifty (Careful about spending; avoids waste.)
|
frugal (Deliberately avoids unnecessary expense.)
Themes
money
|business
|daily_life
Definition
Spending too much money and not thinking about the cost.
Spending money in an unnecessary or irresponsible way; not careful about costs.
B2
3
anyagpazarló
C1
pazarló
B2
Usage pattern:
a wasteful [product/package/design]
Many customers complained that the new bottle design is wasteful.
Sok vásárló panaszkodott arra, hogy az új palack kialakítása anyagpazarló.
The company switched to smaller boxes to avoid wasteful packaging.
A cég kisebb dobozokra váltott, hogy elkerülje az anyagpazarló csomagolást.
Using single-use cutlery for every meal can be very wasteful.
Learner examples
This packaging is wasteful.
Ez a csomagolás anyagpazarló.
Reusable bags are less wasteful.
Az újrahasználható táskák kevésbé anyagpazarlók.
Common mistake:
Wasteful packaging means it creates unnecessary waste; it doesn’t mean the package itself is 'wasted.'
Meaning
creating unnecessary trash
Collocations
wasteful packaging
|wasteful design
|wasteful production
|wasteful manufacturing
|wasteful single-use items
|wasteful disposable products
|wasteful materials
|wasteful consumption patterns
|wasteful excess packaging
|wasteful practices in production
Synonyms
excessive (Emphasizes more than necessary; not always about waste.)
|
resource-intensive (Highlights high resource use, often in environmental contexts.)
Antonyms
low-waste (Designed to produce little trash.)
|
sustainable (Aims to reduce environmental impact, including waste.)
Themes
environment
|consumer_goods
|daily_life
Definition
Making too much rubbish or extra material that isn’t needed.
Producing more waste, packaging, or unused material than is necessary.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wasteful
IPA
GB/wˈeɪstfəl/
US/wˈeɪstfəl/
Syllables & stress
waste - ful (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (waste)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: wasteful
Expressions
wasteful of [time/money/resources]
1/wˈeɪstfəl əv tˈaɪmmənˈaɪɹɪsˈɔɹsɪz/
fixed phrase
not careful about using something
Using too much of something, like time or money.
Examples
- It’s wasteful of time to repeat work that’s already been done.
- The old heater is wasteful of energy.
- Printing every email is wasteful of paper.
Learner examples
- It is wasteful of water to leave the tap running.
- This method is wasteful of time.
wasteful with [money/water/energy]
1/wˈeɪstfəl wˈɪθ mˈoʊnˈaɪwˌeɪtɚənɚd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
using something carelessly
Not careful when using something, so you use too much.
Examples
- He’s wasteful with money when he goes on holiday.
- Try not to be wasteful with electricity during peak hours.
- They were wasteful with food and threw away a lot of leftovers.
Learner examples
- Don’t be wasteful with your money.
- She is wasteful with food.