wasting
/'westiɳ/
Definition
- Noun:
- The process of becoming progressively weaker and thinner, especially due to illness: A state of severe weight loss and muscle deterioration, often associated with chronic disease or malnutrition.
- The act of using something carelessly or extravagantly; squandering: The action of expending or consuming resources, time, or opportunities in a futile or unproductive manner.
Usage and Examples
Noun (Physical Deterioration):
- The patient suffered from severe wasting due to the advanced stage of the illness.
- Muscle wasting is a common symptom in long-term bedridden patients.
Noun (Squandering of Resources):
- The wasting of natural resources is a major environmental concern.
- His wasting of the inheritance on frivolous pursuits left him with nothing.
Advanced Usage
"Wasting away": To gradually decline in health and physical strength, often to the point of emaciation.
- After the diagnosis, she was slowly wasting away.
"Wasting disease": A chronic illness that causes progressive physical decline and emaciation.
- Tuberculosis was historically known as a wasting disease.
"Wasting asset" (Economics/Law): A natural resource that is depleted or consumed in the process of use, such as a mine or an oil well.
Variants and Related Words
- Waste (verb/noun): The root form. As a verb: to use carelessly; to lose strength. As a noun: unwanted or unusable material; a barren area.
- Wastage (noun): The amount wasted; loss by use, decay, or erosion.
- Wasteful (adjective): Tending to waste; extravagant.
- Waster (noun): A person who wastes; a good-for-nothing.
Synonyms
- For physical decline: Atrophy, emaciation, cachexia, decline, deterioration.
- For squandering: Squandering, dissipation, prodigality, misuse, extravagance.
Related Phrases and Phrasal Verbs
- Waste away: To become progressively thinner and weaker.
- Without proper nutrition, the survivors began to waste away.
Related Idioms
- A waste of time/breath/space: Used to describe something or someone as completely useless or unproductive.
- Arguing with him is a complete waste of breath.
- Go to waste: To not be used and therefore be wasted.
- It's a shame to let all this good food go to waste.
Noun
-
a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
-
any general reduction in vitality and strength of body and mind resulting from a debilitating chronic disease
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ chứa "wasting"
Từ có nhắc đến "wasting"
