English edit

Etymology edit

From waste (empty, barren, dejected, dismal, adjective) +‎ -en.

Verb edit

wasten (third-person singular simple present wastens, present participle wastening, simple past and past participle wastened)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To make or become waste (i.e. barren, dejected, dismal, feeble, or sickly) or wasted
    • 1865, John Stock (Vicar of Finchingfield, Essex.), An Exposition of the First Epistle General of St. John.:
      It is our wisdom to master this wastening incredulity: to overcome unbelief, by faith; and so the more easily this present world; making light of its permitted trials, and sitting loose to its possessions.
    • 1908, original 1613-1614, The Publications of the Yorkshire Parish Register Society, volume 33, page 203:
      [] Thomas s. of Chr: Clifton of Clifton & Will'm sonne of Robert Miller of Leedes lost in the snow the 8t of Februarie & not found till then & Clifto's child strangly wastened all saveing a very few bones thothr whole & fresh []
    • 1920, Lady Augusta Gregory, A Book of Saints and Wonders:
      And there are seven wax tapers in the quire" he said "that have never been lighted by any man's hand, and that bum day and night at every hour of prayers and that have never wastened or lessened through these fourscore years."
    • 1962, Evidence, numbers 5-8, page 83:
      [] do you love me, Mabel?
      not a pennysworth, Joe
      troves I lost I never looked for: cracked
      fountain pens that stained my fingers wastened
      by irreconcilable degrees into the dust.
    • 1980, Nancy Lenz Harvey, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, page 118:
      Wolsey wastened no moment in responding. In all diplomatic courtesy, he confirmed Henry's commitment to Francis and his willingness to meet with Charles.
    • 2015, Oliver Lockewell, Behind The Mirror: Fright Night Flash Fiction:
      Not a second was to be wastened when your parent sends you on an errand or some chore.

Synonyms edit

Anagrams edit

Dutch edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈʋɑs.tə(n)/
  • (file)

Verb edit

wasten

  1. inflection of wassen:
    1. plural past indicative
    2. (dated or formal) plural past subjunctive

Middle English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman waster (Parisien guaster), from Latin vāstō, with influence from Frankish *wōstijan; equivalent to wast (desolate) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix). Compare westen (to devastate).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈwaːstən/, /ˈwastən/

Verb edit

wasten (third-person singular simple present wasteth, present participle wastende, wastynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle wasted)

  1. To ruin or damage; to cause damage to:
    1. To devastate; to make a wasteland or ruin.
    2. To enfeeble; to make weak or sickly.
    3. To eat at; to cause to decay or shrink.
  2. To destroy; to utterly consume or eliminate:
    1. To break up; to cause to dissolve or disintegrate.
    2. To cleanse; to make something evanesce or evacuate.
    3. (figuratively, religion) To eliminate sin.
    4. To kill or murder; to cause someone's death.
  3. To utilise or expend (resources or supplies):
    1. To sap or use up; to totally expend.
    2. To waste resources; to expend wastefully.
    3. To expend time (usually in an wasteful way)
  4. To weaken; to become less strong or powerful.
  5. To dissolve or evanesce; to become disintegrated.
  6. (figurative, rare) To violate or interrupt.

Conjugation edit

Descendants edit

  • English: waste
  • Scots: waste

References edit