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]