wasteful
Using too much
Wasteful describes using more of something than necessary, or using resources carelessly without regard for their value.
A wasteful process consumes excess materials or energy.
Wasteful spending squanders money that could serve better purposes.
The word carries moral weight—implying not just inefficiency but a failure of stewardship: It seems wasteful to throw away perfectly good food.
Use up carelessly
- fritterFried batter cake
- dissipateGradually fade away
- misspendUse wastefully or unwisely
- misuseImproper application
blow · splurge · spendthrift · prodigal · improvident · reckless · heedless · careless
Exceeding sensible bounds
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- lavishAbundant beyond necessity
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
- immoderateBeyond reasonable bounds
overindulgent · gluttonous · intemperate · surplus · overkill · surfeit · oversupply · superfluous
Poor at using resources
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- futileIncapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- fruitlessProducing no useful outcome
unprofitable · counterproductive · uneconomical · impractical · mismanaged · bungled · botched · inept
Introducing harmful contaminants
- destructiveCausing severe harm
- unsustainableCannot be maintained indefinitely
- harmfulCausing damage or injury
- damagingCausing loss or injury
ruinous · exploitative · rapacious · deforesting · strip-mining · landfill · litter · trash
squander
Use up carelessly
misuse · blow · splurge · spendthrift · prodigal · improvident · reckless · heedless · careless · thoughtless
deplete
Greatly reduce supply
use up · empty · sap · overuse · overexploit · strip · ravage · devour · erode · bleed dry
extravagant
Exceeding sensible bounds
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- lavishAbundant beyond necessity
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
immoderate · overindulgent · gluttonous · intemperate · surplus · overkill · surfeit · oversupply · superfluous · redundant
inefficient
Poor at using resources
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- futileIncapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
fruitless · unprofitable · counterproductive · uneconomical · impractical · mismanaged · bungled · botched · inept · sloppy
polluting
Introducing harmful contaminants
- destructiveCausing severe harm
- unsustainableCannot be maintained indefinitely
- harmfulCausing damage or injury
damaging · ruinous · exploitative · rapacious · deforesting · strip-mining · landfill · litter · trash · garbage
- excessexcess, too much, excessive, excessiveness, overabundance
- inefficiencyinefficient, unproductive, ineffective, suboptimal, redundant
- money mindsetsfrugal, thrifty, generous, stingy, greedy
- consumerismconsumerism, consumers, consumer, shopping, buying
- futilefutile, useless, pointless, fruitless, vain
- lifestylessimple living, city life, family life, minimalism, rural life
wastefulfrugal
Sparing with resources
thrifty · economical · sparing · conserving · parsimonious
wastefulefficient
Productive without waste
resourceful · productive · effective · streamlined · optimized