INDEX:
1. to waste something
2. something that wastes time, money etc
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ SAVE
to spend a lot of money carelessly : ↑ SPEND MONEY OR TIME (3)
to waste time : ↑ SPEND MONEY OR TIME
see also
↑ RUBBISH/GARBAGE
↑ GET RID OF
↑ EFFICIENT/NOT EFFICIENT
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1. to waste something
▷ waste /weɪst/ [transitive verb]
to use time, money, food etc in a way that is not useful or sensible, or use more of something than is necessary :
▪ I wasted 40 minutes waiting for a bus this morning.
▪ Don’t leave the light on - you’re wasting electricity.
▪ The school kitchen wastes an awful lot of food.
waste money/time on something
▪ Bill wastes all his money on beer and cigarettes.
▪ Let’s not waste any more time on this.
▷ wasted /ˈweɪstɪd, ˈweɪstəd/ [adjective]
something that is wasted is not used in a sensible way, or does not produce a useful result :
▪ I felt as if my education had been wasted when I couldn’t get a job.
a wasted trip/journey
▪ I’m sorry, you’ve had a wasted trip. Mr Newton isn’t here at the moment.
wasted life/years
▪ She thought back over the past four years - four wasted years married to a man who almost destroyed her.
a wasted opportunity
▪ The government could have dealt with the problem there and then. It was a wasted opportunity.
▷ go to waste /ˌgəʊ tə ˈweɪst/ [verb phrase]
if something goes to waste or if you let something go to waste, it is wasted because it is not used :
▪ Local produce often goes to waste because people prefer to buy imported food.
▪ If no one else wants this, I’ll eat it -- I hate to see good food go to waste.
▪ We can’t let all our hard work go to waste.
▷ squander /ˈskwɒndəʳǁˈskwɑːn-/ [transitive verb]
to waste something valuable by using it in a stupid way that brings no useful results :
▪ His family felt he had squandered his musical talent.
squander a chance/opportunity
▪ England squandered a golden opportunity to score, seconds before the final whistle.
squander away something
▪ Howard was a terrible gambler, and had squandered away the family fortune.
▷ fritter away /ˌfrɪtər əˈweɪ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to waste something such as time or money in a silly way by using small amounts of it on things you do not need :
fritter away something
▪ So many students seem to fritter away their time at college.
fritter something away
▪ Michelle had frittered her inheritance away on extravagant parties and fancy clothes.
▷ dissipate /ˈdɪsɪpeɪt, ˈdɪsəpeɪt/ [transitive verb] formal
to gradually waste something such as money or energy by trying to do a lot of different and often unnecessary things :
▪ She had dissipated her fortune by the time she was twenty-five.
▷ money down the drain /ˌmʌni daʊn ðə ˈdreɪn/ [noun phrase]
money that is wasted :
be money down the drain
▪ Buying nice clothes for you was just money down the drain. All you ever wear are jeans and T-shirts.
throw money down the drain
▪ The government is throwing tax payers’ money down the drain.
2. something that wastes time, money etc
▷ be a waste of something /biː ə ˈweɪst əv something/ [verb phrase]
if something is a waste of time, money, energy etc, it annoys you because it uses time, money etc in a way that has no useful results :
▪ a pointless war that was a terrible waste of human life
▪ That class was a complete waste of time - I didn’t learn anything.
▪ My parents think going to football games is a waste of money.
▷ wasteful /ˈweɪstf ə l/ [adjective]
an activity or method that is wasteful uses too much money, food, energy etc, without any useful results :
▪ Many people see the new £60 million building as wasteful and extravagant.
▪ wasteful packaging
▷ inefficient /ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃ ə nt◂, ˌɪnəˈfɪʃ ə nt◂/ [adjective]
an organization or system that is inefficient does not work well, so it uses more time, money, or energy than it needs to :
▪ an inefficient heating system
▪ Local government in the area is seen as being corrupt and inefficient.
▪ The factory is inefficient, and its working practices and machinery dated.