WASTE | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of waste in English wastenoun uk /weɪst/ us /weɪst/

waste noun (BAD USE)

Add to word list Add to word list B1 [ S or U ] an unnecessary or wrong use of money, substances, time, energy, abilities, etc.: a waste of time That meeting achieved absolutely nothing - it was a complete waste of time.a waste of She's been unemployed for two years and it's such a waste of her talents. My mother couldn't stand waste - she always made us eat everything on our plates.  go to waste to not be used, eaten, etc.: You can even make stock from the bones, so that nothing goes to waste. Each year, the leftover flu vaccine goes to waste. It's not fair to say that all the money and hard work went to waste. A lot of time and money have gone to waste because of a flawed design. We really don't want all this food to go to waste.

• What a complete waste of time!
• It is the height of folly and a tragic waste to gallop into war.
• This report is nonsense and nothing but a waste of paper.
• Buying that sports car was a sinful waste of money.
• The conference was a monumental waste of time.

Wasting

• boondoggle
• dissipate
• dissipation
• down the drain idiom
• flabbily
• misspend
• piss
• piss something away phrasal verb
• prodigal
• prodigality
• prodigally
• profligacy
• spendthrift
• squander
• throw good money after bad idiom
• throw something away phrasal verb
• toss
• toss something away phrasal verb
• uneconomic
• unthrifty

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waste noun (UNWANTED MATTER)

B1 [ C or U ] unwanted matter or material of any type, especially what is left after useful substances or parts have been removed: This city produces 20 million tons of household waste each year. He opposes any kind of nuclear waste being dumped at sea. Millions of gallons of untreated human waste (= excrement) flow into the river every day. Oil spills are common, as is the dumping of toxic industrial wastes.waste paper The Japanese recycle more than half of their waste paper.

• The government is having difficulty finding a safe depository for nuclear waste.
• Most people do not want this country to become a dumping ground for toxic waste.
• She makes a big profit from selling waste material to textile companies.
• Liquid and solid waste is collected in the tank.
• The Japanese recycle more than half their waste paper.

Rubbish and waste

• activated sludge
• anti-litter
• anti-littering
• crake
• debris
• freecycle
• fumes
• garbage
• garbage disposal
• gubbins
• high-level waste
• litter
• muck
• scum
• scummy
• sewage
• sewerage
• skip diving
• slag
• white elephant

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waste noun (EMPTY GROUND)

 waste ground mainly UK an area of ground in or near a city that is not built on or used in any way: His body had been dumped in an area of waste ground just outside the city. See more  wastes [ plural ] large areas of land that are not used to grow crops and have few living animals or plants: the Arctic wastes of northern Siberia See more

Idiom

waste of space wasteverb [ T ] uk /weɪst/ us /weɪst/

waste verb [T] (USE BADLY)

B1 to use too much of something or use something badly when there is a limited amount of it: You waste a lot of water by taking a bath instead of a shower.waste time Come on, let's get started - we've wasted enough time already.waste your money Don't waste your money on such junk.

• The way we waste this planet's resources is criminal.
• A lot of water is wasted through leakage.
• We have to change the public's perception that money is being wasted.
• If you'd got on with your work instead of wasting time chatting, you'd be finished by now.
• Have some more vegetables - it would be a shame to waste them.

Wasting

• boondoggle
• dissipate
• dissipation
• down the drain idiom
• flabbily
• misspend
• piss
• piss something away phrasal verb
• prodigal
• prodigality
• prodigally
• profligacy
• spendthrift
• squander
• throw good money after bad idiom
• throw something away phrasal verb
• toss
• toss something away phrasal verb
• uneconomic
• unthrifty

See more results »

waste verb [T] (KILL)

US slang to kill someone Murder & attempted murder

• asphyxiation
• assassinate
• assassination
• assassination attempt
• attempt
• butcher
• drive-by
• genocide
• gun someone down phrasal verb
• homicide
• infanticide
• involuntary manslaughter
• polish something off phrasal verb
• pop off phrasal verb
• put someone to the sword idiom
• regicide
• rub
• slaughter
• smother
• snuff

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Idioms

not waste words waste your breath waste no time waste not, want not wasted on someone

Phrasal verb

waste away (Definition of waste from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

waste | American Dictionary

wastenoun us /weɪst/

waste noun (BAD USE)

Add to word list Add to word list [ U ] a bad use of something valuable that you have only a limited amount of: a waste of time/money a waste of talent/ability I felt like being there was just a waste.

waste noun (UNWANTED MATTER)

unwanted matter or material of any type, esp. what is left after use: [ C ] hazardous/toxic wastes [ U ] Most people don’t recycle kitchen waste. biology Human waste is excrement. Waste disposal is the process or system for getting rid of unwanted material by burying it, burning it, or dropping it in the sea. wasteverb [ T ] us /weɪst/

waste verb [T] (BAD USE)

to use something without care or thought: Why should I waste my time on her? You’re just wasting your money buying that stuff.

Idioms

waste your breath waste no time wasted on someone

Phrasal verb

waste away (Definition of waste from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

waste | Business English

wastenoun uk /weɪst/ us Add to word list Add to word list [ S or U ] an unnecessary or careless use of resources or skills: a waste of money/resources/time The meeting was a complete waste of time. All departments have been instructed to avoid waste. [ U ] materials or substances with no use or value, for example, ones that are produced when other products are being made: the disposal of wastehazardous/radioactive/toxic waste The company was charged with illegally disposing of toxic waste. household/industrial waste wasteadjective [ before noun ] uk /weɪst/ us left after what is valuable has been used, and no longer needed: the collection and recycling of waste materials wasteverb [ T ] uk /weɪst/ us to use more money, time, resources, etc. than is needed: The board decided it could not waste any more time and money developing the product. to not use something in an effective way: waste a chance/effort/opportunity Oftel had the chance to create real competition to BT but it has wasted the opportunity. wasted skills/talent  waste no time in doing sth to do something immediately: The board wasted no time in appointing a successor. (Definition of waste from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) What is the pronunciation of waste?

Translations of waste

in Chinese (Traditional) 使用不當, 浪費, 濫用… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 使用不当, 浪费, 滥用… See more in Spanish desperdicio, pérdida, desechos… See more in Portuguese desperdício, perda, esbanjamento… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian वाया, अपव्यय, कचरा… See more むだ使い, ごみ, ～をむだにする… See more israf, kayıp, ziyan… See more gaspillage [masculine], perte [feminine], gâchis [masculine]… See more pèrdua, malbaratament, deixalles… See more verspillen, afval, verspilling… See more பணம், பொருட்கள், நேரம்… See more (धन, पदार्थ, समय… See more દુર્વ્યય, કચરો, બરબાદ કરવું… See more spilde, affald, affalds-… See more slösa [bort], avfall, slöseri… See more membuang, membazir, sesuatu yang membazir… See more verschwenden, der Abfall, Abfall-…… See more sløsing [masculine], søppel [masculine-neuter], avfall [neuter]… See more بربادی, نقصان, زیاں… See more даремно витрачати, марнувати, відходи… See more వృధా, వ్యర్థం, వృధా చేయు… See more অপচয়, বর্জ্য, অপব্যয় করা… See more plýtvat, promarnit, zmetek… See more menyia-nyiakan, bahan sampah, barang sisa… See more ใช้ไปอย่างเปล่าประโยชน์, ของเสีย, ขยะ… See more lãng phí, rác thải, hoang mạc… See more strata, marnotrawstwo, odpady… See more 낭비, 쓰레기, 낭비하다… See more spreco, rifiuti, scarti… See more Need a translator?

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wassailing wassup wast wastage waste waste (your) time phrase waste away phrasal verb waste bin waste collection BETA {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of waste

• nuclear waste
• e-waste
• waste bin
• green waste
• toxic waste
• waste paper
• waste water

See all meanings

• waste away phrasal verb

See all phrasal verb meanings

• waste your breath idiom
• wasted on someone idiom
• waste no time idiom
• waste (your) time phrase
• waste ground phrase
• lay something (to) waste idiom
• waste of space idiom

See all idioms and phrases

Word of the Day

humble

UK /ˈhʌm.bəl/ US /ˈhʌm.bəl/

not proud or not believing that you are important

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• English   
  • Noun 
    • waste (BAD USE)
    • go to waste
    • waste (UNWANTED MATTER)
    • waste (EMPTY GROUND)
    • waste ground
    • wastes
  • Verb 
    • waste (USE BADLY)
    • waste (KILL)
• American   
  • Noun 
    • waste (BAD USE)
    • waste (UNWANTED MATTER)
  • Verb 
    • waste (BAD USE)
• Business   NounAdjective
  • Verb 
    • waste
    • waste no time in doing sth

• Translations
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