WASTREL Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

wastrel

noun

ˈwā-strəl

Definition of wastrel

as in spendthrift

someone who spends money freely or foolishly the black sheep of the family, he ended up being a wastrel and a drunkard

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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 wastrel He was raised on Chicago’s North Side by a wastrel father and a mother who struggled to put food on their table. — Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025 The always-entertaining Bruce Turk steals all his scenes as Ranevskaya’s spoiled and wastrel brother, Leonid Gayev. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2023 Atay lingers on the outskirts, keeping the company of workers and wastrels, poets and drunks—all those who refuse the monumental transformations of Turkish society. — Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024 Henry Muck, suitably nicknamed Prince Hal by his family and friends, may be Industry’s version of the ultimate privileged wastrel. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for wastrel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wastrel

Noun

To be a valid spendthrift trust in Illinois, three factors must be met.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The split screen of Bezos and his spendthrift wife, Lauren Sánchez, frolicking everywhere — including Paris Fashion Week — while the tech mogul defiles the crown jewel nurtured by Ben Bradlee and Kay Graham is sickening.

— Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2026

Definition of spendthrift

Noun

The form asks for the date and time of the watering, along with the waster’s address.

— Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
The state Department of Environmental Protection is responding and will assist in the safe disposal of waster materials generated during the cleanup Morrisey said.

— Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 22 Apr. 2026

Definition of waster

Noun

Crucially, the premium push isn't crowding out lower-income spenders.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 2 July 2026
The north London side have been hefty transfer spenders since completing the build of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019, and such spending had caught up with their bank balance.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of spender

Browse Nearby Words

was (to)

wastrel

wastrels

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“Wastrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wastrel. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of wastrel

noun

Example Sentences

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