waste
gb/wˈeɪst/ us/wˈeɪst/
A2
English
~ 2700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Unwanted or unusable material
Things that are not wanted and are thrown away.
Usage pattern:
[something] is waste
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'waste' (unwanted material) with 'waste' (to use carelessly). Context helps to distinguish them.
Synonyms
garbage (More common in North American English for household waste; less formal.)
Antonyms
resource (Something useful or valuable, the opposite of unwanted material.)
Collocations
waste disposal
|waste management
|reduce waste
|waste collection
|hazardous waste
Themes
environment
|daily life
|business
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The factory produces a lot of chemical waste.
- Please put your food waste in the compost bin.
- Electronic waste is a growing environmental problem.
- They are finding new ways to recycle plastic waste.
Learner examples
- The bin is full of waste.
- We must not throw waste in the street.
- This machine reduces food waste.
- They burn the waste at the plant.
Verb
A2
action
2
Use carelessly or without benefit
To use something in a bad way so that it is lost.
Usage pattern:
to waste [something] on [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'waste' (to use badly) with 'spend' (neutral). 'Spend' is not always negative.
Synonyms
squander (More formal and often used for money or opportunities.)
Antonyms
conserve (To use something carefully so it lasts longer.)
Collocations
waste time
|waste money
|waste resources
|waste energy
Themes
daily life
|business
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Examples
- Don't waste your time arguing with him.
- She wasted a lot of money on clothes she never wore.
- 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.
- She wasted all her money on toys.
- We waste too much paper at school.
- He wasted his chance to win.
Noun
A2
action
3
Unnecessary use of something valuable
When something valuable is used in a bad way and lost.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this noun sense with the physical-material noun sense; here it is about the act, not the object.
Synonyms
misuse (Focuses more on wrong or improper use rather than simply careless loss.)
Antonyms
efficient use (Using something in the best possible way.)
Collocations
a waste of time
|a waste of money
|a complete waste
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Examples
- It would be a waste of time to try again.
- Throwing away good food is such a waste.
- The meeting was a total waste of resources.
Learner examples
- The trip was a waste of money.
- This game is a waste of time.
- Selling the car now is a waste.
adjective
B2
state
4
Thin and weak from illness or hunger
Very thin and weak because of being sick or not having enough food.
Synonyms
emaciated (More formal and medical term for extremely thin due to illness.)
Antonyms
healthy (Having good health and normal strength.)
Collocations
waste body
|waste appearance
Themes
health
|body
Examples
- The patient looked pale and wasted after months in bed.
- He was wasted by the long illness.
Learner examples
- She looks wasted after the sickness.
- He became wasted from hunger.
- The old man was wasted by disease.
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.