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waste

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈweɪst// UK //wˈeɪst// waste
  1. 1 trash or garbage (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    materials that are no longer needed and are thrown away.

    useless by-products or damaged materials discarded as no longer functional or saleable.

    Example

    The city has a new system for collecting household waste every Tuesday.

    Example

    Industrial waste must be processed according to strict environmental regulations to prevent toxic runoff into the local water table.
  2. 2 bad use of something (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of using more of something than you need, or using it badly.

    the act of consuming or using a resource ineffectually or extravagantly.

    Example

    Leaving the lights on all night is a total waste of electricity.

    Example

    The auditor concluded that the project was a monumental waste of taxpayer money, citing poor management and lack of oversight.
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  1. 3 bodily discharge (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

    the materials that your body gets rid of, like urine.

    excrement or urine produced by a living organism.

    Example

    The doctor asked for a sample to check for chemicals in his body waste.

    Example

    The facility was designed to treat human waste safely before discharging the purified water back into the river.
  2. 4 to use poorly (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to use money, time, or energy on things that are not useful.

    to squander or dissipate resources uselessly; often used with time, money, or effort.

    Example

    I don't want to waste my weekend watching boring movies.

    Example

    The company cannot afford to waste its marketing budget on campaigns that do not reach the target demographic.
    Pitfall
    Don't waste your time to do that.
    Don't waste your time doing that.

    The verb 'waste' is followed by a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.

  3. 5 to become weak (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Medicine

    to become thin and weak, usually because of a serious illness.

    to lose weight, strength, or vitality gradually, typically due to disease or lack of nutrition.

    Example

    Without proper food, the animals began to waste away.

    Example

    The patient continued to waste away despite the aggressive nutritional therapy provided by the hospital staff.

    Usage

    Often used with the particle 'away'.
  4. 6 to kill (v.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    to kill someone.

    to murder or assassinate someone.

    Example

    In the movie, the villain threatened to waste anyone who got in his way.

    Example

    The dialogue in the crime thriller was filled with threats to waste rivals who interfered with the gang's operations.
  5. 7 useless or extra (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing something that is extra and not needed, or rejected as bad.

    superfluous, rejected as defective, or produced in excess of requirements.

    Example

    The factory sells its waste paper to a recycling company.

    Example

    The pipe was designed to carry waste steam away from the main engine to prevent pressure buildup.
Etymology 1

From Middle English wast, waste (“a waste”, noun), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wast, waste (“a waste”), from Frankish wōstī (“a waste”), from Proto-Germanic wōstaz, wōstuz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- (“empty, wasted”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English wast, waste (“waste”, adjective), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wast (“waste”), from Frankish wōstī (“waste, empty”), from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- (“empty, wasted”). Cognate with Old High German wuosti, wuasti (“waste, empty”), German wüst, Old Saxon wōsti (“desolate”), Old English wēste (“waste, barren, desolate, empty”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English wasten (“to waste, lay waste”), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French waster (“to waste, devastate”) (compare also the variant gaster and French gâter from a related Old French word); the Anglo-Norman form waster was either from Frankish wōstijan (“to waste”), from Proto-Indo-European wāsto- (“empty, wasted”), or alternatively from Latin vastāre and influenced by the Frankish; the English word was assisted by similarity to native Middle English westen ("to waste"; > English weest). Cognate with Old High German wuostan, wuastan, wuostjan (“to waste”) (Modern German wüsten), Old English wēstan (“to lay waste, ravage”). Displaced native Old English essian and strȳndan. Largely overtook Old English forspillan and wēstan.

Idioms5 entries

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