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to waste

to waste

5 4.7
To destroy a place completely, leaving only ruins
  • verb
  • /weɪst/
: arrasar
  • lay waste to

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

to destroy
vsto waste
∞ 1.0

Damage something so badly that it cannot be used or fixed

emphasizes vast destruction and the sense of utter ruin rather than simple loss
to devastate
vsto waste
256 4.9

To destroy something greatly or make people feel deeply shocked and sad

focuses on complete physical ruin rather than emotional shock
to trash
vsto waste
  • Informal
120 4.0

To damage something badly so it no longer works

stresses broad, total destruction and complete ruin beyond mere uselessness
to ravage
vsto waste
46 6.6

To damage a place or thing very badly

implies total utter ruin rather than partial but severe damage
to lay waste to
vsto waste
11 7.9

To destroy a place and leave it ruined

is used more generally for causing total ruin across situations
to scourge
vsto waste
  • Formal
2 9.1

To cause great suffering or damage

centers on causing physical total ruin rather than mainly suffering or punishment
to desolate
vsto waste
1 7.2

Make a place empty and lifeless by destroying or leaving it

focuses on widespread ruin and total destruction rather than emptiness alone

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To keep someone or something safe from harm

504 3.4

To keep people and things safe from harm or change

Idioms

A situation that needs action right away

10 8.8

An action that causes great damage to places and people

Use things carefully so you do not run out later

So good that it should not be thrown away

Phrasal Verbs

670 1.6

To spend time doing things that are not useful instead of doing something more useful

Use time or effort in a way that achieves little

29 5.5

To become weak and thin because of sickness or not eating enough

To destroy a place and leave it ruined

To spend time on things that are not useful

Compounds

229 2.7

An activity that takes time but does not help you

An amount of money spent without getting a useful result

38 3.5

Poisonous materials people throw away that can harm health or nature

15 2.7

Uneaten or leftover food that people throw away from homes and shops

radioactive waste
  • Specialized
14 5.0

Unwanted material from nuclear power that gives off radiation

An action that uses effort but achieves nothing useful

A thing made and thrown away by a factory, machine, or body

An activity that uses your time but does not help you

7 3.5

Dirty substances that people get rid of from their bodies, like urine and feces

A place where people leave dangerous chemicals, often illegally

Things like old or broken items that are thrown away

5 1.3

A container with an open top for small trash like paper

An action that uses time and energy but gives no useful result

2 1.1

Paper that people throw away after use

waste of skin
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A person seen as having no value or use

2 4.2

A way to stop making trash by reusing, recycling and using fewer things

toxic waste site
  • Specialized
2 4.4

A place where dangerous chemical waste is stored or dumped

body waste
  • NSFW
1 2.7

Things the body gets rid of, like urine, sweat, and feces

1 6.5

Radioactive material from medical tests and hospital procedures that has low radiation and needs safe handling

1 7.8

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

Using or throwing away materials so usable parts are lost

1 1.9

Things people throw away because they are not useful

A small open container for throwing away paper and other small rubbish

1 4.7

Poisonous waste from factories that can harm people and nature

1 3.0

A pipe that carries away dirty water from a sink or bath

1 4.8

An area of land where people put rubbish

toxic waste area
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A place where people dump poisonous materials that must be cleaned because they can harm people or nature

9.9

A property loses value when a tenant fails to take care of it

9.9

A rude phrase for something completely pointless and not worth your time

waste baler
  • Specialized
5.6

A machine that presses waste like cardboard or plastic into tight bundles for easier handling

7.2

A large shallow pond that treats sewage using sunlight and bacteria and algae

How Destructive

to annihilate
  • NSFW
58 7.5
to waste
5 4.7
to ruin
∞ 2.0
to damage
323 1.4
to impair
39 5.1

Surface Forms

waste infinitive
wasted past
wasted past participle
wasting present participle
wastes third person singular

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.