waste
n. C / Un. the act of using something like time, money, or energy in a way that is not useful. It also refers to things that are thrown away because they are no longer needed.
n. the act of using or expending something carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose; additionally, the discarded material resulting from a process. Often used in the singular when referring to the inefficient use of resources.
Leaving the lights on all day is a waste of energy.
The factory implemented a new recycling program to reduce the amount of chemical waste it produces each month.
The committee concluded that the project's failure was a tragic waste of public funds, resulting primarily from poor oversight and a lack of clear strategic objectives.
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”).
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”).
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.
Uncountable when referring to discarded materials in general; countable when referring to a specific instance of inefficient use (e.g., 'a waste of time').
It is a waste timeIt is a waste of timeWhen using 'waste' to describe an inefficient use of a resource, it must be followed by the preposition 'of'.