English

Etymology

Old North French < Latin vastare

Pronunciation

• AHD : wāst
• IPA : /weɪst/
• SAMPA : /weIst/

Homophones

• waist

Noun

waste (uncountable and countable, plural: wastes )

1. what people don't want anymore and try to get rid of
2. a complete loss

   That was a waste of time

   Her life seemed a waste

3. Specific sense: excrement (animal waste, human waste)

Synonyms

• garbage
• rubbish

Related terms

• wastrel
• wasteland
• toxic waste

Translations

• Dutch: afval n (1), rommel m (1), vuil n (1), verkwisting f (2), verspilling f (2)
• Finnish: jäte (1), hukka (2), jätös
• French: déchets m, pl (1), gaspillage f (2)
• German: Abfall m (1), Verschwendung f (1)
•  : disip-ado
• Italian: sottoprodotto (1)
• Japanese: 無駄 , 無駄使い , 浪費
• Portuguese: dejeto m, lixo m, sucata f
• Spanish: desechos m, pl (1), detrito m (1), basura f (1)

intransitive verb

to waste (wasted, wasted)

1. to gradually lose weight or weaken

   After he lost hope, he wasted away.

Translations

• Finnish: kuihtua
•  : dépérir
• Ido  : deperisar

transitive verb

to waste (wasted, wasted)

1. to use valuable resources in vain

   We wasted millions of dollars and several years on that project

2. (slang) to murder.

Translations

• Finnish: hukata (1), tuhlata (1)

to lay waste to

1. To completely destroy

   The hurricane laid waste to the better part of several counties

Related terms

• wasted

Translations

• Dutch: verspillen , verkwisten , vermorsen , verdoen , verklungelen ,
• Finnish: tuhota
• French: dissiper , gaspiller, prodiguer
• Portuguese: desperdiçar