Standard Lemma guide

waster

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈweɪstə/
  • rhymes with -eɪstə(ɹ)
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: W EY1 S T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Someone or something that wastes; someone who squanders or spends extravagantly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: big spender, dingthrift, neve, overspender, prodigal, profligate, saprophage, scattergood, slipstring, slipthrift, sparkler, spend-all, spendthrift, splurge, splurger, squanderer, unthrift, waster, wastegood, wastethrift, wastrel

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: thief

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A destroyer or plunderer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An item that is spoiled during its manufacture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An idle, worthless person; a loser.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, slang

Examples

  • 2024, Laura Carter, Fake It 'til You Make It I don't want a total waster and I'm definitely not looking for a hook-up, but I really do need an okay date. Someone normal. Someone I can introduce to family and friends [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a foil.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: fencing, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A leister; a spear for catching fish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a destroyer of the environment
  • jealousy was his undoer
  • uprooters of gravestones

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: destroyer, ruiner, undoer, uprooter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bad person

Narrower terms: annihilator, iconoclast, image breaker, saboteur, wrecker, diversionist, vandal

9

noun

Meaning 9

someone who dissipates resources self-indulgently

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wastrel

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prodigal, profligate, squanderer

History

Etymology

From Middle English wastere, waister, wastar, wastour, equivalent to waste + -er. Compare Anglo-Norman wastur, Old French gastëor.

Unknown

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разточител (raztočitel) — one that wastes
  • Bulgarian: прахосник (prahosnik) — one that wastes
  • Dutch: verkwister — one that wastes
  • Finnish: tuhlaaja — one that wastes
  • Finnish: haaskaaja — one that wastes
  • Finnish: tuhlari — one that wastes
  • French: gaspilleur — one that wastes
  • French: gaspilleuse — one that wastes
  • German: Verschwender — one that wastes
  • German: Verschwenderin — one that wastes
  • Hungarian: pazarló — one that wastes
  • Macedonian: ра́сипник (rásipnik) — one that wastes
  • Māori: kaihau — one that wastes
  • Middle English: wastour — one that wastes
  • Polish: marnotrawca — one that wastes
  • Polish: marnotrawczyni — one that wastes
  • Romanian: risipitor — one that wastes
  • Romanian: risipitoare — one that wastes
  • Spanish: malgastador — one that wastes
  • Finnish: vahaa sulattava karren pala — imperfection in the wick
  • Ottoman Turkish: خرسز (hırsız) — imperfection in the wick
  • Finnish: tuhontekijä — destroyer in Proverbs