waste 1 of 3

1
2
3
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

waste

2 of 3

verb

1
2
3

waste

3 of 3

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb waste contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of waste are despoil, devastate, pillage, ravage, and sack. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

When would despoil be a good substitute for waste?

In some situations, the words despoil and waste are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When is it sensible to use devastate instead of waste?

Although the words devastate and waste have much in common, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

How are the words pillage and sack related as synonyms of waste?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

When is ravage a more appropriate choice than waste?

The words ravage and waste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

In what contexts can sack take the place of waste?

The synonyms sack and waste are sometimes interchangeable, but sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of waste
Noun
Penalties include: Class C misdemeanor — If the waste weighs five pounds or less or has a volume of five gallons or less. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025 Their village lacks toilets and sanitation, and people defecate in the open, which health officials say puts around 2,000 other children at risk of contracting polio, which can be spread by contact with human waste. Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos is utterly wasted; as he’s killed off mid-series, his potential as a character is cut short in the name of pathos for his daughter, G’iah (Emilia Clarke). Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025 Human bodily waste on the sidewalk doesn’t just appear. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The new anti-waste law aims to encourage buyers to repair their devices rather than replace them with new products. Chris Smith, BGR, 26 Feb. 2021 To boost that percentage, France passed an anti-waste bill last year mandating that electronics manufacturers make a repairability index visible on their products. Maddie Stone, Wired, 20 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for waste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste
Noun
  • Mountains of garbage are said to be visible from space and people have complained of seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Apr. 2025
  • With the parent club, Davison has been stuck behind Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Payton Pritchard on the backcourt depth chart, limiting him to 15 mostly garbage-time appearances this season.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Zedd brought his friends with him to the desert.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Post Malone is ready to take on the desert.
    Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Ancient Egyptians also revered dung beetles because the rolling of the dung balls reminded them of the sun god rolling the sun across the sky, according to the Israel Museum.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Living in the wood economy means relying on wood, dung, and other basic bioenergy.
    Ted Nordhaus, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2016
Noun
  • The funds will be used to bankroll the expansion of the flagship FPSO business as well as a growing green energy portfolio under Yinson Renewables, a subsidiary that has solar and wind power projects in multiple countries.
    Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Such levels of import duties are expected to dent China’s exports and knock several percentage points off the economy’s expansion this year.
    Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Tracking coastal erosion and sediment movement: The Navigator provides centimeter-level precision in mapping shorelines, enabling researchers to model erosion patterns and sediment transport more effectively.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Rock revetments, seawalls and other hard structures built on the beach limit public access and can contribute to coastal erosion.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Consumers have been optimizing their spending for years, Thomas said, by making smart decisions to have the ability to still spend, particularly on discretionary items.
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Ripp is originally a linebacker but spent parts of last year playing edge.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Justin Champagnie hit a 3-pointer, the Heat had a backcourt violation and then Carrington ruined Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s 40-point game by dropping this dagger on him.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.
    Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on waste

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!