WASTE Synonyms: 453 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'waste' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of waste are despoil , devastate , pillage , ravage , and sack . While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action. // years of drought had wasted the area

Q: When would 'despoil' be a good substitute for 'waste'?

In some situations, the words despoil and waste are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction. // the Nazis despoiled the art museums

Q: When is it sensible to use 'devastate' instead of 'waste'?

Although the words devastate and waste have much in common, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area. // an earthquake devastated the city

Q: How are the words 'pillage' and 'sack' related as synonyms of 'waste'?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack . // settlements pillaged by Vikings

Q: When is 'ravage' a more appropriate choice than 'waste'?

The words ravage and waste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction. // a hurricane ravaged the coast

Q: In what contexts can 'sack' take the place of 'waste'?

The synonyms sack and waste are sometimes interchangeable, but sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place. // barbarians sacked ancient Rome

waste 1 of 3

noun

ˈwāst

Definition of waste next

as in wastefulness

an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint it seems like a waste to spend my entire paycheck on a bigger TV

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in garbage

discarded or useless material gathered up the waste when he was finished sewing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in desert

land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dung

solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in expansion

a wide space or area a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in erosion

a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

waste

2 of 3

verb

as in to spend

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to ruin

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 to weaken

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

waste

3 of 3

adjective

as in barren

producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation waste acreage that was not fit for anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb waste contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of waste are despoil, devastate, pillage, ravage, and sack. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

When would despoil be a good substitute for waste?

In some situations, the words despoil and waste are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When is it sensible to use devastate instead of waste?

Although the words devastate and waste have much in common, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

How are the words pillage and sack related as synonyms of waste?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

When is ravage a more appropriate choice than waste?

The words ravage and waste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

In what contexts can sack take the place of waste?

The synonyms sack and waste are sometimes interchangeable, but sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

Examples 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 waste

Noun

And Wood said that as long as people eat meat, there will always be a need for leather companies to solve the problem of hide waste. —

Jennifer Bringle, WWD, 12 Dec. 2024 Moving that waste onto fields would be a significant step toward a circular economy for agriculture, according to findings published Wednesday in Nature Sustainability. —

Saul Elbein, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024

Verb

Trump wasted little time cheering the news of Wray’s departure. —

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 Dec. 2024 But the film wastes its potential to do anything truly novel with its central characters and instead uses them to tell a tale that’s disappointingly rote and predictable. —

Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 11 Dec. 2024

Adjective

The new anti-waste law aims to encourage buyers to repair their devices rather than replace them with new products. —

Chris Smith, BGR, 26 Feb. 2021 To boost that percentage, France passed an anti-waste bill last year mandating that electronics manufacturers make a repairability index visible on their products. —

Maddie Stone, Wired, 20 Feb. 2021 See all Example Sentences for waste

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste

Noun

Not to be the bearers of bad news, but your garbage disposal isn’t as good at disposing of garbage as the name implies.

Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2024
There are two piles of garbage close to the Stage Star Deli at 105 West 55th Street, where the CCTV camera was recording.

Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024