WASTING Synonyms: 304 Similar and Opposite Words

wasting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of wasting

as in wasteful

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wasting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of waste

as in spending

to use up carelessly he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in destroying

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of one country attempting to waste another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weakening

to diminish the physical strength of endless months of inactivity wasted him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 wasting

Verb

The challenge is integrating these capabilities into a defense that can quickly identify threats, select an appropriate response, and avoid wasting expensive interceptors on inexpensive drones. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 The city of Milwaukee waited 46 years to see its team in the Fall Classic, and this year's Brewers wanted to stop wasting time. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Instead of wasting your mums on a repeating cycle every year, plant them in the garden to overwinter. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Buy portions that match your appetite Throwing away part of a chicken breast means wasting more than dinner. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 Chronicling the hyper-niche behaviors that define our online existence, Berlant describes the seemingly inescapable embarrassment of wasting one’s life away in an endless scroll. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 Companies ‘wasting money’ on AI experimentation Tan’s concerns also extend to the companies paying to use AI. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 Chino Valley Ranchers’ The Jammy Egg offers a perfectly jammy yolk every time, for those who don’t want to risk wasting their eggs while trying to get it right at home. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2026 Each drinks from an enormous glass bottle of water rather than wasting time with a cup. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting

Adjective

As costs kept climbing, many health economists were reluctant to probe the wasteful spending that accompanied the consolidation frenzy.

— Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026
President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in January, has repeatedly defended his decision to scrap a years-long subsidy program in 2023 to avoid wasteful spending and invest in infrastructure development.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of wasteful

Verb

One crab can eat more than 40 juvenile soft-shell clams in a day, while also destroying seagrass habitats.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
And then a seven-hour-long GRB came along—acting like a Death Star whose planet-destroying beam refused to switch off—that defied all explanation.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

OpenAI disclosed a pair of safety incidents that involved AI agents weakening their safety monitoring systems during internal coding tasks.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, weakening brand loyalty threatens an advantage established manufacturers have relied on for decades.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakening

Adjective

The combination of slow growth, high inflation, profligate spending, and soaring debt has stirred a revolt in financial markets.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Chicagoans expect Pritzker to defend us from profligate mayoral borrowing and spending, not add to it.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of profligate

Verb

Aside from briefly losing the seat for one term nearly a decade ago, Valadao has hung onto the seat.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
For this year’s show at Compton Verney, Cadogan has taken inspiration from British people who’ve written to her about losing beloved trees in their own gardens, or public spaces.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of losing

Verb

The song is a cautionary tale about a brothel in New Orleans known for ruining many poor girls.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
As wet electrodes get thicker, the liquid binder migrates unevenly during drying, ruining the battery‘s structure.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruining

Verb

Medik8 Advanced Night Ceramide is a rich overnight cream that helps replenish dry skin while softening the look of crepiness, fine lines, and rough texture.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Scientists at the Beckman Institute have been tracking levels of plastic-softening phthalates in the blood of children since before they were born up until age 11.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026