adj (1)无人烟的，未开垦的(not inhabited or cultivated)[通常作attrib]：a large piece/area of～ground 一大片荒地;a～place 荒芜人烟的地方;

(2)无用而可抛弃的(that can be thrown away as worthless or useless)[通常作attrib]：～matter produced by the factory 该工厂产生的废料;～materials/products/energy 废料/品/能源;The kitchen～pipe is blocked. 厨房下水管堵塞了。～words 废话;～matter 排泄物;

lay sth waste 毁坏某物，使……荒芜(fml)：They did not realize the invaders laid～their civilization. 他们没有认识到侵略者毁坏了他们的文明。The nation was in mourning for a whole generation laid～. 这个国家为荒废了的一代人感到痛心。

→′wasteland n 不毛之地;͵waste′paper n 废纸;

vt (1)浪费;滥用(use or expend sth thoughtlessly or carelessly)[T+n，T+n+prep(on)]：Get down to business;you're～ing time. 快干活吧，你在浪费时间。～gas/energy/electricity/food/strength/natural resources 浪费煤气/能源/电/食物/精力/自然资源; All his efforts were～d. 他的全部努力都白费了。I have a～d journey. 我白跑了一趟。Don't～money on that new soap powder/on things you don't need/on trash. 不要浪费钱去买那种新牌的肥皂粉/自己并不需要的东西/无用的东西。～words on sb/sth 对某人/某事白费口舌; I won't～another minute on you unless you're going to help! 我不愿意在你身上再浪费一分钟，除非你愿意帮忙。His joke is～d on us.(fig) 我们并不欣赏他的笑话。Don't～time over it. 不要在这件事上浪费时间了。〖同〗consume;〖反〗save，economize;

(2)未充分使用(not fully use)[T+n，通常 pass]：You're～d in your present position. 你现在的地位太屈才了。Fine clothes are～d on her. 好衣服穿在她身上穿不出样来。～an opportunity 未充分利用机会;The goods lie～ing in the warehouse. 货物白白地在仓库中闲置着。

(3)使土地荒废(make the land useless)[T+n，常 pass]：Bad farming～s this land. 乱耕乱种荒废了这片土地。Long dry periods～ these fields. 长期的干旱荒废了这些田地。The invading armies～d the countryside. 入侵的军队使乡下的土地荒废了。

(4)使……瘦弱(cause to lose energy or strength)[T+n，尤 pass]：His body was～d by a strange disease. (A strange disease～d his body.) 一种奇怪的疾病使他体弱消瘦。a～ing illness 使人瘦弱的疾病; the poor～d bodies of the concentration camp victims 集中营受害者们那可怜瘦弱的身躯;limbs～d by hunger 饿得瘦弱的四肢; (sb) be～d into a shadow(某人)骨瘦如柴;～one's strength 消耗自己的气力;〖同〗weaken;〖反〗strengthen;

waste away (v adv)(指人)消瘦，衰弱(vi)：The old man～d away to skin and bone/to a skeleton. 这位老人瘦得皮包骨头。He is～ing away from disease. 他因病而变得越来越虚弱了。

waste one's breath 白费口舌：Don't～your breath. He is as stubborn as a mule. 你不要白费口舌了，他十分固执。

waste no time in doing sth 抓紧时间做某事：They～d no time in discussing this urgent matter.他们抓紧时间讨论这件紧急的事情。

→′waster n 挥霍浪费的人;

n(1)浪费;滥用(condition of being wasted or act of wasting)[U，a～]：Such a routine job is a～of her talents. 这些日常工作对她的天赋是个浪费。a～of labour/precious time 劳力/宝贵时间的浪费; a～of words/breath 浪费口舌; It's a～of time talking to him. 跟他谈话是浪费时间。a mere/sheer～of labour 十足的劳力浪费;an utter～of labour十足的劳力浪费; W～of food is wicked while people are hungry. 有人还在挨饿，浪费食物是有罪的。reduce/avoid/cut down～减少/避免/减少浪费; combat extravagance and～反对铺张浪费;The city budget can afford no～. 市政预算不能滥用。〖同〗loss，misuse，misapplication;〖反〗saving，conservation;

(2)抛弃的东西，废料(物)，垃圾(sth which can be thrown away or is no longer useful)[U]：The industrial/poisonous/radioactive～must be prevented from polluting our environment. 必须防止工业/有毒/放射性废料污染我们的环境。The pond was thick with household/city/kitchen～. 这个湖里堆满了家庭/城市/厨房垃圾。the～from a factory 工厂废物; The seamstress used～to make doll clothing. 女裁缝用废布料制作玩具娃娃的衣服。throw the～away 扔掉废物; a nuclear～disposal plant 核废料处理厂;〖同〗refuse，garbage，rubbish，litter;

(3)无人居住的地区，荒地(漠)(region or area that is not inhabited or cultivated;desert or wildness )[C，通常 pl]： barren～s 不毛之地; No crops will grow on these stony～s. 在这些满是石头的荒地上长不出任何庄稼。Huge～s spread out both sides as far as our eyes could see. 在我们所能看到的地方，两旁皆是无人区。〖同〗emptiness，desert;

(4)凄凉的景象(dreary scene)[C]：the～of ruined houses 房屋被毁的凄凉景象; Much of the farm was all～and ruin then. 这农场当时大部分是一片凄凉荒废的景象。a～of waters 一片汪洋; The city was burned into a desolate～. 城市被烧成荒凉的废墟。Before us stretches a～of snow and ice. 我们面前是一片冰雪的荒野。

(5)排泄物(sth that is rid of from the body)(pl)：W～s from the body pass out from the bowels. 体内的排泄物从肠内排出。The function of kidney is to excrete～s from the body. 肾脏的功能是从体内排出废物。

go/run to waste 被浪费： Look at all that water going/running to～. 看看那些水都被浪费掉了。

→′wasteful adj 浪费的，挥霍的;′wastefully adv 浪费(挥霍)地;′wastefulness n 浪费，挥霍;′waste-basket，AmE ′waste-bin n 废纸篓;′waste-pipe n 污水管，废水管;

【辨异】waste 与 desert¹的区别见DE-SERT。