wasting

[ wey-sting ]

/ ˈweɪ stɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wasting ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

gradually reducing the fullness and strength of the body: a wasting disease.

laying waste; devastating; despoiling: the ravages of a wasting war.

noun

Geology. mass wasting.

Origin of wasting

1200–50; Middle English; see waste, -ing², ing1

OTHER WORDS FROM wasting

wast·ing·ly, adverb wast·ing·ness, noun non·wast·ing, adjective, noun

Words nearby wasting

wastepaper, wastepaper basket, waster, wastewater, wasteweir, wasting, wasting asset, wastrel, wat, watap, watauga

Definition for wasting (2 of 2)

waste

[ weyst ]

/ weɪst /

verb (used with object), wast·ed, wast·ing.

to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words.

to fail or neglect to use: to waste an opportunity.

to destroy or consume gradually; wear away: The waves waste the rock of the shore.

to wear down or reduce in bodily substance, health, or strength; emaciate; enfeeble: to be wasted by disease or hunger.

to destroy, devastate, or ruin: a country wasted by a long and futile war.

Slang. to kill or murder.

verb (used without object), wast·ed, wast·ing.

to be consumed, spent, or employed uselessly or without giving full value or being fully utilized or appreciated.

to become gradually consumed, used up, or worn away: A candle wastes in burning.

to become physically worn; lose flesh or strength; become emaciated or enfeebled.

to diminish gradually; dwindle, as wealth, power, etc.: The might of England is wasting.

to pass gradually, as time.

noun

useless consumption or expenditure; use without adequate return; an act or instance of wasting: The project was a waste of material, money, time, and energy.

neglect, instead of use: waste of opportunity.

gradual destruction, impairment, or decay: the waste and repair of bodily tissue.

devastation or ruin, as from war or fire.

a region or place devastated or ruined: The forest fire left a blackened waste.

anything unused, unproductive, or not properly utilized.

an uncultivated tract of land.

a wild region or tract of land; desolate country, desert, or the like.

an empty, desolate, or dreary tract or extent: a waste of snow.

anything left over or superfluous, as excess material or by-products, not of use for the work in hand: a fortune made in salvaging factory wastes.

remnants, as from the working of cotton, used for wiping machinery, absorbing oil, etc.

Physical Geography. material derived by mechanical and chemical disintegration of rock, as the detritus transported by streams, rivers, etc.

garbage; refuse.

wastes, excrement.

adjective

not used or in use: waste energy; waste talents.

(of land, regions, etc.) wild, desolate, barren, or uninhabited; desert.

(of regions, towns, etc.) in a state of desolation and ruin, as from devastation or decay.

left over or superfluous: to utilize waste products of manufacture.

having served or fulfilled a purpose; no longer of use.

rejected as useless or worthless; refuse: to salvage waste products.

Physiology. pertaining to material unused by or unusable to the organism.

designed or used to receive, hold, or carry away excess, superfluous, used, or useless material (often in combination): a waste pipe; waste container.

Obsolete. excessive; needless.

Origin of waste

1150–1200; 1960–65 for def 6; (adj.) Middle English < Old North French wast (Old French g(u)ast) < Latin vāstus desolate; (v.) Middle English < Old North French waster (Old French g(u)aster) < Latin vāstāre, derivative of vāstus; (noun) Middle English < Old North French wast(e) (Old French g(u)aste), partly < Latin vāstum, noun use of neuter of vāstus, partly derivative of waster; Old North French w-, Old French gu- by influence of cognate with Frankish *wōsti desolate (cognate with Old High German wuosti)

SYNONYMS FOR waste

1 misspend, dissipate, fritter away, expend.

3 erode.

5 ravage, pillage, plunder, sack, spoil, despoil.

10 decline, perish, wane, decay.

12 dissipation.

14 diminution, decline, emaciation, consumption.

15 spoliation, desolation.

24 rubbish, trash.

28 ruined, ghostly, destroyed.

29 unused, useless, extra.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR waste ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR waste

1 save.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR waste ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for waste

19. See desert¹. 36. See ravage.

OTHER WORDS FROM waste

wast·a·ble, adjective waste·less, adjective out·waste, verb (used with object), out·wast·ed, out·wast·ing. un·wast·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH waste

waist waste

Example sentences from the Web for wasting

She was once quoted as saying that she wanted to help all women who “are not wasting life being a housekeeper.”

Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob Boss |J. North Conway |September 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Once you raised it, a massed army was wasting away, whether it fought or not, or whether it advanced, retreated, or stood still.

Why the U.S. Army Is Stuck in the 19th Century |Bill Sweetman |September 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Wasting no time, the two of them clambered onto the desk, pushing aside the flag of the Soviet Union that covered it.

Fifty Shades of Presidential FanFiction |Amy Zimmerman |August 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Drug companies are wasting millions of dollars in research on “female Viagra.”

Why There Will Never Be a Female Viagra |Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S |July 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

I was dreading that moment, because there I was thinking I was wasting all of my money and I would have no more savings.

Meet Justin Jedlica, the Real Life Ken Doll |Erin Cunningham |April 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
"I fear you are wasting your time, gentlemen," said Grell, stretching himself wearily.

The Grell Mystery |Frank Froest
By means like these the Faculty try to prevent the wasting of time over unprofitable studies.

The Teacher |George Herbert Palmer
However, there is no use in wasting words, and an hour will suffice me to get ready in.

The Mistress of Bonaventure |Harold Bindloss
What the deuce did he come running down here for, wasting his time and my money.

Mary Seaham, Volume 2 of 3 |Elizabeth Caroline Grey
Do you see that sluggard, wasting this beautiful day in a lazy brouette?

The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 119, September, 1867 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for wasting (1 of 2)

wasting

/ (ˈweɪstɪŋ) /

adjective

(prenominal) reducing the vitality, strength, or robustness of the body a wasting disease

Derived forms of wasting

wastingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for wasting (2 of 2)

waste

/ (weɪst) /

verb

(tr) to use, consume, or expend thoughtlessly, carelessly, or to no avail

(tr) to fail to take advantage of to waste an opportunity

(when intr, often foll by away) to lose or cause to lose bodily strength, health, etc

to exhaust or become exhausted

(tr) to ravage

(tr) informal to murder or kill I want that guy wasted by tomorrow

noun

the act of wasting or state of being wasted

a failure to take advantage of something

anything unused or not used to full advantage

anything or anyone rejected as useless, worthless, or in excess of what is required

garbage, rubbish, or trash

a land or region that is devastated or ruined

a land or region that is wild or uncultivated

physiol

the useless products of metabolism
indigestible food residue

disintegrated rock material resulting from erosion

law reduction in the value of an estate caused by act or neglect, esp by a life-tenant

adjective

rejected as useless, unwanted, or worthless

produced in excess of what is required

not cultivated, inhabited, or productive waste land

of or denoting the useless products of metabolism
of or denoting indigestible food residue

destroyed, devastated, or ruined

designed to contain or convey waste products

lay waste to devastate or destroy

Derived forms of waste

wastable, adjective

Word Origin for waste

C13: from Anglo-French waster, from Latin vastāre to lay waste, from vastus empty

Medical definitions for wasting (1 of 2)

wasting

[ wās′tĭng ]

adj.

Gradually deteriorating; declining.

Sapping the strength or substance of the body, as a disease; emaciating.

n.

Emaciation.

Medical definitions for wasting (2 of 2)

waste

[ wāst ]

v.

To gradually lose energy, strength, or bodily substance, as from disease.

n.

The undigested residue of food eliminated from the body; excrement.

Scientific definitions for wasting

waste

[ wāst ]

Noun

An unusable or unwanted substance or material, such as a waste product. See also hazardous waste landfill.

Verb

To lose or cause to lose energy, strength, weight, or vigor, as by the progressive effects of a disease such as metastatic cancer.

Idioms and Phrases with wasting

waste

In addition to the idioms beginning with waste

waste away
waste not, want not
waste one's breath

also see:

go to waste
haste makes waste
lay waste

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wasting

adjective

noun

Origin of wasting

OTHER WORDS FROM wasting

Words nearby wasting

Definition for wasting (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), wast·ed, wast·ing.

verb (used without object), wast·ed, wast·ing.

noun

adjective

Origin of waste

SYNONYMS FOR waste

ANTONYMS FOR waste

synonym study for waste

OTHER WORDS FROM waste

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH waste

Example sentences from the Web for wasting

British Dictionary definitions for wasting (1 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of wasting

British Dictionary definitions for wasting (2 of 2)

verb

noun

adjective

Derived forms of waste

Word Origin for waste

Medical definitions for wasting (1 of 2)

adj.

n.

Medical definitions for wasting (2 of 2)

v.

n.

Scientific definitions for wasting

Noun

Verb

Idioms and Phrases with wasting

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wasting

adjective

noun

Origin of wasting

OTHER WORDS FROM wasting

Words nearby wasting

Definition for wasting (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), wast·ed, wast·ing.

verb (used without object), wast·ed, wast·ing.

noun

adjective

Origin of waste

SYNONYMS FOR waste

ANTONYMS FOR waste

synonym study for waste

OTHER WORDS FROM waste

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH waste

Words related to wasting

Example sentences from the Web for wasting

British Dictionary definitions for wasting (1 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of wasting

British Dictionary definitions for wasting (2 of 2)

verb

noun

adjective

Derived forms of waste

Word Origin for waste

Medical definitions for wasting (1 of 2)

adj.

n.

Medical definitions for wasting (2 of 2)

v.

n.

Scientific definitions for wasting

Noun

Verb

Idioms and Phrases with wasting