WASTING Synonyms: 304 Similar and Opposite Words

wasting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of wasting

as in wasteful

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Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said on Thursday that Republicans were wasting money by targeting two House seats held by vulnerable Democrats in the state of New York. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026 Identifying the cause of your hair loss first is what keeps you from wasting money on the wrong product, according to Kazlouskaya. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026 Each boy, age 13 and 12 respectively, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare, fatal muscle-wasting disease. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026 The truth of the matter is, both of these fanbases are wasting their breath. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 This is a crucial insight to have before wasting time and money. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 This allows massive electrical currents to flow through small coils without wasting energy as heat. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026 Even after 25 years, Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro’s series about an anthropomorphic milkshake, french fry container, and a wad of meat wasting their days in suburban New Jersey remains one of Adult Swim’s most recognizable properties. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 Arnd Wiegmann | Reuters Novartis shares tanked on Tuesday after the pharmaceutical giant said its del-desiran drug for muscle-wasting disorder failed in a late-stage trial. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting

Adjective

Supporters say the measure aims to cut wasteful government spending by requiring audits for new state special taxes.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Congressional Republicans got rid of the EV tax credit last year after long arguing that markets, not the government, should influence what Americans drive, and dubbed the tax credit wasteful spending.

— Willa Rubin, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of wasteful

Verb

Originally from Mexico, Casillas immigrated to the United States at age 20 and has now been here for 50 years, spending decades building relationships within the community.

— Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Later, after Nicole and her mother moved to other parts of the city, Nicole began spending time in Kensington, and Diane eventually moved there to be near her, Halloran-Koren said.

— Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of spending

Verb

Sign up for the newsletter When the rain does fall, Kabul’s hard, impermeable surfaces mean the water doesn’t replenish aquifers, but instead sweeps through the city as flash floods, destroying homes, killing people and rolling away.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Space debris is generated not only by kinetic space weapons but also when satellites collide and get smashed into countless fragments and smaller particles that travel at high velocity and are capable of destroying or damaging more spacecraft.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

While critics claim the court cases are politically motivated and aimed at weakening the opposition, the government insists the country’s judiciary is independent and free from political influence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Those tasks had often depended on personal relationships rather than formal job requirements, and the researchers found those ties were weakening.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakening

Adjective

Bournemouth were profligate, despite scoring through Marcus Tavernier and forcing a Malick Thiaw own goal, with multiple first-half chances wasted.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
This shift occasioned the profligate production that would mark her oeuvre, with Kusama going on to make hundreds of paintings in which forests of lines and dots cradled variously floral and phallic figures.

— News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of profligate

Verb

In one instance, McGregor pressured the City Council into revoking support for the controversial Interstate 77 South toll lanes project at the threat of losing the caucus’ endorsement, according to multiple council members.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
Flávio is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year and three-month sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup d’état after losing the 2022 presidential election.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of losing

Verb

As wet electrodes get thicker, the liquid binder migrates unevenly during drying, ruining the battery‘s structure.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Seaver also allegedly threatened to start a podcast dedicated to ruining Parton’s image unless he was paid.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruining

Verb

In the late 1970s, Giorgio Armani stripped the structure out of the traditional suit, softening its shoulders and loosening its trousers.

— John Vorwald, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
Even with used vehicle prices softening slightly, high borrowing costs keep monthly payments out of reach for many prospective buyers.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026