WASTED Synonyms: 427 Similar and Opposite Words

wasted 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwā-stəd

Definition of wasted

as in weak

lacking bodily strength a wasted frame—a shadow of the man he once was

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in haggard

suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease a frail and wasted famine victim

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ripped

slang being under the influence of a recreational drug the documentary portrays the comedian as someone who was often too wasted to function socially

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drunk

slang being under the influence of alcohol unfortunately, his college years were largely spent getting wasted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wasted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of waste

as in spent

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ruined

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 weakened

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 wasted

Adjective

The team believes that the approach could reduce wasted heat and also eliminate emissions associated with burning fossil fuels in cement kilns. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 When these work together, firms may reduce wasted spend, improve lead quality, and stabilize case flow. — William Jones, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026 Advertisers still need to actively review and clean search terms to prevent wasted spend and ensure relevance. — Mykola Lukashuk, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 This is when water from a sprinkler head sprays out onto the sidewalk or street, and that's considered wasted water. — Yvette Fernandez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025

Verb

Spraying the whole plant—the leaves and stems—means some water is being wasted because plants need water near their roots. — Lauren David, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026 Those particular fans in Cleveland who wasted precious hours of their lives Saturday afternoon at an NFL preseason game, then booed Deshaun Watson throughout his time on the field? — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 New Florida women’s soccer coach Nick Zimmerman wasted little time signaling better days are ahead — much sooner than anyone expected. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 Not only was $25,000 of taxpayer money wasted, but the public is still in the dark and still losing money. — Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2026 An enormous amount of safe food gets taken off shelves and is wasted under the current system, costing big retailers hundreds of millions — and in some extraordinary cases, billions — of dollars each year, according to Yiannas. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 Done poorly, treated purely as task completion, shift coverage, a box to check, that potential is wasted entirely. — Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Sullivan has not yet decided whether the attorneys in the case engaged in bad-faith practices that amounted to harassment and needlessly drove up costs and wasted the court’s time. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2026 The teams wasted little time finding the net as Bay FC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when former Live Oak High and Cal star Karlie Lema’s pressure led to her fourth goal of the season. — Staff, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasted

Adjective

The heat has caused a fall in nuclear generation, with power plants forced to shut down or reduce production across the region, while wind power generation has been weak over the summer.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The state financial watchdog attributed the disbursement problems to administrative delays, weak project management, and late counterpart funding from the Congolese government.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of weak

Adjective

Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.

— Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.

— Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026

Definition of haggard

Adjective

During a search, officers discovered a loaded handgun in the employee's bag.

— Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
In practical terms, the study suggests a preference for agentic AI to simplify drudge work and logistics, such as narrowing choices or suggesting better options, rather than taking full control of emotionally loaded or high-complexity decisions.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of loaded

Adjective

Eurotrash from Frauke Finsterwalder will have its world premiere in Zurich, the festival confirmed Monday, following a writer called Philipp who embarks with his terminally ill and hopelessly drunk mother, Helene, on a road trip through Switzerland.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
This was the context for Justice Brewer’s remarks about Philip sober restraining Philip drunk.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of drunk

Verb

While they’ve been spotted enjoying glitzy dinners and events in historic villas with friends in Saint-Tropez and Capri, really, the Clooneys have spent most of the summer at their home on Lake Como.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Instead, he’s spent August anxiously watching the orange skies from his house in the northern Nevada hills through two consecutive and adjacent wild-land fires, the Bug and Hawk Fires.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of spent

Verb

Three winemakers earlier this month filed suit against the owner of Hundred Acre Wines, Jayson Woodbridge, and his company alleging that smoke from the wildfire ruined their harvests, the Press Democrat reported.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Authorities in Napa County have charged a man for allegedly setting the 2025 Pickett Fire near Calistoga, which burned thousands of acres of Wine Country and ruined grape harvests because of the smoke.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruined

Adjective

Instead of using a mirror to gather starlight, MOTHRA has many telephoto lenses, like those on a camera, which can capture faintly glowing wisps of gas and other feeble emanations across a wider field of view.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress, the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been overthrown.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026