go to waste
Be squandered entirely
To go to waste is to be unused or discarded when it could have served a purpose.
Food goes to waste when it spoils before anyone eats it.
Talent goes to waste when circumstances prevent its development.
The phrase often carries a note of regret: It's a shame to let all that effort go to waste.
- spoilDamage or overindulge
- squanderUse up carelessly
- down the drainIrretrievably lost or ruined
- perishCease to exist
- languishWeaken through suffering
gather dust · neglect · discard · decompose · fall by the wayside · fall through the cracks · let slip · pass up · missed opportunity · fallow · underutilization · use it or lose it · rot · forget · surplus · overlook · misuse · mishandle
waste, wasted, wasteful, wasting, wasteland, wastefully, waster, wastage, wastefulness