Wastefulness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Wasteful \Waste"ful\, a.
     1. Full of waste; destructive to property; ruinous; as,
        wasteful practices or negligence; wasteful expenses.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Expending, or tending to expend, property, or that which


        is valuable, in a needless or useless manner; lavish;
        prodigal; as, a wasteful person; a wasteful disposition.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Waste; desolate; unoccupied; untilled. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              In wilderness and wasteful desert strayed.
                                                    --Spenser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Lavish; profuse; prodigal; extravagant.
          [1913 Webster] -- {Waste"ful*ly}, adv. --
          {Waste"ful*ness}, n.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  wastefulness
       n 1: the trait of wasting resources; "a life characterized by
            thriftlessness and waste"; "the wastefulness of missed
            opportunities" [syn: {thriftlessness}, {waste}]
       2: useless or profitless activity; using or expending or
          consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; "if the effort
          brings no compensating gain it is a waste"; "mindless
          dissipation of natural resources" [syn: {waste}, {dissipation}]