waste

Don't waste your time.

You will not get anywhere with it, so don't waste time trying. Mary: Should I ask Tom if he wants to go to the convention, or is he still in a bad mood? Sally: Don't waste your time. Mary: Bad mood, huh? Jane: I'm having trouble fixing this doorknob. Mary: Don't waste your time. I've ordered a new one.

See also: time

go to waste

[for something] to be wasted; to be unused (and therefore thrown away). Eat your potatoes! Don't let them go to waste. We shouldn't let all those nice herbs go to waste. Let's pick some before the first hard frost.

Haste makes waste.

Prov. You do not save any time by working too fast; hurrying will cause you to make mistakes, and you will have to take extra time to do the job over again. Fred: Hurry up and get my car fixed. Alan: Don't rush me. Haste makes waste.

See also: haste, make

lay something to waste and lay waste to something

Fig. to destroy something; to ruin or mess up something. The invaders laid the village to waste. The kids came in and laid waste to my clean house.

See also: lay

waste someone

Sl. to kill someone. The thief tried to waste the bank guard after the bank robbery. The crook said, "Try that again, and I'll waste you!"

waste something away

to use something up wastefully; to dissipate something. He wasted all his money away and had to live in poverty. They wasted away everything and regretted it later.

See also: away

waste something on someone or something

to throw something away on someone or something. Please don't waste any sweet potatoes on me. I don't like them. I can't waste any more money on this car.

waste away

to wither or dwindle away. Our money just seemed to waste away. As she grew older, she just sort of wasted away.

See also: away

Waste not, want not.

Prov. Cliché If you do not waste anything, you will always have enough. Always save the fabric scraps left over from your sewing projects; you can use them to make something else. Waste not, want not. Sam never let his leftovers spoil in the refrigerator but made sure to eat them. "Waste not, want not," he said.

See also: want

waste of space

something that is completely without value. The wrecked furniture in here is just a waste of space. This broken-down car is a waste of space!

See also: space

waste one's breath

Fig. to waste one's time talking; to talk in vain. Don't waste your breath talking to her. She won't listen. You can't persuade me. You're just wasting your breath.

See also: breath

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be a waste of space  (informal)

if you say that someone is a waste of space, you mean that they do not do anything useful and you do not like them Her husband's a complete waste of space.

See also: space

waste your breath

to tell or ask someone something although this will have no effect (often negative) Don't waste your breath. I've already asked her to help and she said no. You'd be wasting your breath reporting it to the police - they never look for stolen bikes.

See also: breath

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go to waste

to not be used It's wrong to let good food go to waste. The companies have spent millions of dollars on new equipment that lets nothing go to waste.

lay waste (to something)

to destroy something Last night, rabbits laid waste to the lettuce I was going to pick today. The army laid waste to the countryside as it moved south.

See also: lay

waste something on somebody

to not be noticed or appreciated I wouldn't waste this material on high school students - they don't have the background to understand it.

Usage notes: often used when speaking of something of special quality: The difference between a really fine French wine and one that's not as good is wasted on me.

waste your breath

to say something that is likely to be ignored You'd be wasting your breath reporting it to the police because they don't look for stolen bikes, even expensive ones.

Usage notes: often used in the form don't waste your breath: Don't waste your breath - I've already asked her to help and she said no.

See also: breath

waste away

1. to gradually become thin and weak He stopped eating and wasted away until he looked like a shadow.

2. to be damaged or rubbed away by weather Good soil can waste away quickly if it's not cared for properly.

See also: away

waste no time in doing something also lose no time (in) doing something

to immediately begin an activity Caroline wasted no time in tackling her new job. Will came right from the airport to the office and lost no time getting back to work.

See also: time