Topic Thesaurus
Roget's Thesaurus

Waste

Nouns
Verbs
  • spend, expend, use, consume, swallow up, exhaust
  • impoverish
  • spill, drain, empty
  • disperse etc. Nonassemblage. Dispersion. cast away, fool away, muddle away, throw away, fling away, fritter away
  • burn the candle at both ends, waste
  • squander etc. Prodigality. waste its sweetness on the desert air" [Gray]
  • cast one's bread upon the waters, cast pearls before swine
  • employ a steam engine to crack a nut, waste powder and shot, break a butterfly on a wheel
  • labor in vain etc. (useless) Inutility
  • cut blocks with a razor, pour water into a sieve. leak etc. (run out) [Motion out of.] Egress
  • run to waste
  • ebb
  • melt away, run dry, dry up.
Adjectives
  • wasted etc. v.
  • at a low ebb. wasteful etc. (prodigal) Prodigality
  • penny wise and pound foolish.
Phrases
  • idly busy rolls their world away" [Goldsmith].