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Glite Dictionary
to waste energy

to waste energy

2 3.5
Use time or effort in a way that achieves little
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : desperdiciar energía
  • Don't waste energy writing 1,500 words for a publication you later find out accepts only 600-word essays.
  • avoid wasting energy

Examples

  • "I don't waste energy on that stuff.

    Blog text (15)

  • You waste energy and time!

    Ratatouille (2007)

  • Broken seals can make your fridge run for no reason, waste energy, and cost you a lot of money.

    Blog text (1)

  • We waste energy defending our position based on our assumptions.

    Blog text (11)

  • Clay didn't waste energy on any reply.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • All of us toggle back and forth between different tasks, wasting energy and being less efficient.

    Blog text (30)

  • You often waste energy by worrying about things that are beyond your control.

  • Don't waste energy getting upset over minor issues that can be easily resolved.

  • If you keep trying to multitask, you might waste energy and accomplish less.

Synonyms

to dissipate
vsto waste energy
3 7.0

To use money or energy in a foolish, wasteful way

focuses on unproductive physical or mental effort rather than general resource use
to misspend
vsto waste energy
1 6.5

To spend time or money in a wasteful way

refers to using unproductive effort rather than poorly spending money or time

Antonyms

to utilize
  • Formal
224 4.9

To use something for a particular purpose

to maximize
133 4.1

To make something as large or useful as possible

How Productive

to waste energy
2 3.5
to squander
67 6.5

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

waste + energy

The meaning 'to use physical or mental effort in an unproductive way' is directly and compositionally derived from 'waste' (to use inefficiently) + 'energy' (effort/power). This simple verb + noun collocation follows an obvious logic found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Waste energy comes from the simple image of using power with no result, like pouring fuel on the ground or running until you are tired but not moving forward. So, waste and energy together mean 'to use physical or mental effort in a way that is not useful'.