What does waste mean?
Word: Waste
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Waste means to use something carelessly, or to use more than you need, so that it is lost. As a noun, waste means things that are thrown away, like rubbish.
Antonyms: save
Sounds like: waist (the middle part of your body, where a belt goes)
How do you spell waste?
Syllables: waste
Tricky part: The long a is spelt a-consonant-e: a, then s and t, then a silent e at the end. Do not mix it up with waist, the middle of your body.
Watch out for: waiste, wayste, wase
Memory tip: Waste and paste end in the same four letters, so remember the saying 'Never waste paste'.
Idioms and Phrases
- waste not, want not: if you never waste anything, you will still have it when you need it Example: "Grandma keeps every empty jar for her pickles: waste not, want not, she says."
Waste in a sentence
Example 1: Turn off the tap while you brush so you don't waste water.
Example 2: Vegetable peels go into the green bin for kitchen waste.
Example 3: Grandpa says it is a waste to throw away a half-eaten slice of bread.
Fun Fact
Kitchen waste such as peels and used tea leaves can be turned into compost, a dark, crumbly mix that feeds plants as it breaks down.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with waste?
a) based
b) chased
c) faced
d) last
Show answer
d) last. Last has a different vowel, the 'ah' of car; faced, chased and based all share the 'ayst' sound of waste, though they are spelt differently.
Word Fusion
Add the correct option to the unfinished word to make a new word:
Leaving the fan on in an empty room is waste______.
a) full
b) ful
c) fule
d) fool
Show answer
b) ful. The ending meaning 'full of' has just one l, and here waste keeps its e: wasteful.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) bake : baking
b) waste : wasting
c) smile : smileing
d) write : writing
Show answer
c) smile : smileing. Smile loses its e before -ing, just as bake and write do, so it becomes smiling.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
waste
a) seat
b) taste
c) east
d) stew
Show answer
b) taste. Taste needs two t's, and waste has only one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is one way to stop wasting food?
a) Cook double what you need
b) Take only as much as you can eat
c) Leave food on your plate
d) Throw away leftovers every day
Show answer
b) Take only as much as you can eat
2. In which sentence is waste used as a noun?
a) She hates to waste any paper.
b) Please do not waste your time.
c) Our school recycles its paper waste.
d) They wasted no money at all.
Show answer
c) Our school recycles its paper waste.
