wasteful
Americanadjective
-
given to or characterized by useless consumption or expenditure.
wasteful methods; a wasteful way of life.
-
grossly extravagant; prodigal.
a wasteful party.
-
devastating or destructive.
wasteful war.
adjective
-
tending to waste or squander; extravagant
-
causing waste, destruction, or devastation
Other Word Forms
- unwasteful adjective
- unwastefully adverb
- unwastefulness noun
- wastefully adverb
- wastefulness noun
Etymology
Origin of wasteful
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I have to read my students’ work to see if I can discern telltale signs of AI use, which is a very frustrating and wasteful way to spend time.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
The suspension of the initiative isn't entirely surprising: some had criticized it as financially wasteful or a distraction from other lunar ambitions.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
The department reports that $2 billion in wasteful spending has been cut.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
For Suetsugu, the findings highlight how cooperation in nature can arise from processes that initially appear wasteful or unsuccessful.
From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026
Those first few exhales were big and wasteful as Miig tried to get the damp paper to light, and smoke billowed across the clearing like messages.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
