to waste
- verb
- /weɪst/
- lay waste to
Aaron's instinct is to just, like, lay waste and then rebuild.
- Aaron's instinct is to just, like, lay waste and then rebuild.
Examples
-
Waste every living thing in their path.
-
Without this insight, valuable resources would have been wasted trying to control the disease among the wrong animal population.
Academic text (2005) -
Such a failure would not only waste resources but also create pressures for otherwise unnecessary tax increases.
Academic text (1994) -
Israel's furious strikes on Gaza are laying waste to entire neighborhoods.
-
Nevertheless, Schlitzes tells us that the Emperor continues to invade Bulgaria every year without interruption, laying waste to everything that came to hand.
-
The wildfire wasted the entire forest, leaving nothing but ashes.
-
The storm wasted the coastal town, destroying homes and businesses.
-
The earthquake wasted several buildings in the city center, causing widespread devastation.
Synonyms
Damage something so badly that it cannot be used or fixed
To destroy something greatly or make people feel deeply shocked and sad
To damage something badly so it no longer works
To damage a place or thing very badly
To destroy a place and leave it ruined
To cause great suffering or damage
Make a place empty and lifeless by destroying or leaving it
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
To spend time doing things that are not useful instead of doing something more useful
Compounds
- Specialized
Radioactive material from medical tests and hospital procedures that has low radiation and needs safe handling
- Specialized
Highly radioactive material left after nuclear fuel is used that needs safe storage for a long time
A thing like time or money that is completely useless and gives no benefit
- Specialized
Poisonous waste from factories that can harm people and nature
- Offensive
A rude phrase for something completely pointless and not worth your time
- Specialized
A place where people dump poisonous materials that must be cleaned because they can harm people or nature
- Specialized
A machine that presses waste like cardboard or plastic into tight bundles for easier handling
- Specialized
A large shallow pond that treats sewage using sunlight and bacteria and algae
How Destructive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Waste meaning 'to cause great damage' comes from the old English wāstan meaning 'to lay waste' or make barren, and that is why to waste a town means to destroy it completely.