# waste away

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/waste-away
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To lose energy or become weak and feeble.

## Examples

- She started to waste away after she stopped eating.
- Without proper treatment, the patient began to waste away in the hospital.
- Grief-stricken and refusing nourishment, he seemed to waste away before his family's helpless eyes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.