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

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as in haggard

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

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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

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as in drunk

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

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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

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as in ruined

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of one country attempting to waste another

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as in weakened

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

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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 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

Many African economies are in a much weaker economic position compared to the strong 2015-2016 El Niño, the IIF report said, largely due to higher oil prices, which have driven up transport costs, and a strong US dollar.

— Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Too much nitrogen in the spring creates a weak root system that isn’t able to withstand the heat and drought in summer.

— Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 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

Steinem spent 11 days working undercover as a bunny in Manhattan's Playboy Club and documenting her experience.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Steinem spent her final years continuing to write, her representatives noted Thursday, including her forthcoming book An Unexpected Life.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 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

Verb

Today, the yen has weakened 57% from a low of about 103 in January 2021 to a high of 163 in July, before a rare joint intervention from both Washington and Tokyo strengthened the currency to its current levels of about 160.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Sprout Social's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that recommendation feeds have weakened the link between follower count and reach.

— Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakened

Adjective

Kenneth Branagh originated the somewhat aloof professor, who steps into the role after Professor Quirrell was revealed to be hosting the feeble Lord Voldemort on the back of his bald head.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
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