Waste·ful a.
 1. Full of waste; destructive to property; ruinous; as, wasteful practices or negligence; wasteful expenses.
 2. Expending, or tending to expend, property, or that which is valuable, in a needless or useless manner; lavish; prodigal; as, a wasteful person; a wasteful disposition.
 3. Waste; desolate; unoccupied; untilled.  [Obs.]
    In wilderness and wasteful desert strayed.   --Spenser.
 Syn: -- Lavish; profuse; prodigal; extravagant.
 -- Waste*ful*ly, adv. -- Waste*ful*ness, n.

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 wastefulness
      n 1: the trait of wasting resources; "a life characterized by
           thriftlessness and waste"; "the wastefulness of missed
           opportunities" [syn: thriftlessness, waste]
      2: useless or profitless activity; using or expending or
         consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; "if the effort
         brings no compensating gain it is a waste"; "mindless
         dissipation of natural resources" [syn: waste, dissipation]