waste
/weɪst/ (bre, ipa) · /weɪst/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwāst/ (ame, mw)
waste — 名詞
- wastesingular
- wastesplural
1. when money, time, energy, or similar resources are used so poorly that nothing u
浪費
無謂消耗資源
when money, time, energy, or similar resources are used so poorly that nothing useful results from them.
Asher thought it was a waste of money to buy a new phone every year.
Asher 認為每年買一支新手機是浪費錢。
collocation: a waste of [money/time/energy]
Jack could not stand the waste of food when the restaurant threw away unsold meals.
Jack 無法忍受餐廳把沒賣完的餐點直接丟掉，造成食物浪費。
collocation: waste of food/resources
Spending hours on social media felt like a waste of time to Hui.
Hui 覺得花好幾個小時瀏覽社群媒體是在浪費時間。
The whole project was a complete waste of effort since nobody used the results.
整個計畫完全是白費力氣，因為沒有人使用那些成果。
Shanti considered it a waste of her skills to work at the data-entry job.
Shanti 認為自己去做資料輸入的工作是在浪費才能。
- squandering
more active and negative, implies deliberate carelessness
- misuse
focuses on using something for the wrong purpose rather than using too much
- wastefulness
refers to the habit or quality, not a single instance
- conservation
the careful and efficient use of resources
文法句型
a waste of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the pattern 'a waste of + noun phrase' where the noun names a resource (time, money, food, talent, space).
常見錯誤
2. food, goods, or other items that are not eaten or put to use because there was t
未用
未被使用而浪費掉
food, goods, or other items that are not eaten or put to use because there was too much or nobody wanted them.
Shirin hated to see fresh vegetables go to waste when she forgot to eat them.
Shirin 很討厭看到新鮮蔬菜因為忘記吃而白白浪費掉。
phrase: go to waste
The bakery donates unsold bread so that none of it goes to waste.
麵包店捐贈沒賣完的麵包，這樣就不會浪費食物。
Ife worried that all the leftover party food would go to waste without extra guests.
Ife 擔心如果沒有更多客人來，派對剩下的食物就要浪費了。
In her sewing room, Henry's grandmother never let fabric scraps go to waste.
Henry 的奶奶在自己的裁縫室裡從來不讓任何一小塊布料閒置浪費。
- leftovers
concrete noun for uneaten food, not a state of being unused
文法句型
go to waste
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrase 'go to waste', meaning end up unused or uneaten. It rarely appears in other grammatical contexts.
3. any material that is no longer wanted or needed and is thrown away, especially w
廢棄物
無用的廢料或垃圾
any material that is no longer wanted or needed and is thrown away, especially what remains after useful parts have been taken out.
The city collects household waste from the green bins every Tuesday morning.
每週二早上市府會從綠色垃圾桶收集家庭廢棄物。
collocation: household waste
Vinícius sorted the plastic waste into a separate recycling bag.
Vinícius 把塑膠廢棄物分類到另一個回收袋裡。
collocation: plastic/kitchen/toxic waste
Nuclear waste must be stored safely for thousands of years.
核廢料必須安全存放數千年之久。
The factory was fined for dumping toxic waste into the river.
那家工廠因為將有毒廢棄物排放到河裡而被罰款。
Ari reduced his kitchen waste by composting fruit peels and eggshells.
Ari 透過堆肥果皮和蛋殼來減少廚餘廢棄物。
- resource
something useful or valuable from which benefit can be gained
用法筆記
Always uncountable. Use 'piece of waste' or 'item of waste' for individual things. To count types, use 'kinds of waste' or 'waste products'.
常見錯誤
4. an unused piece of ground within or beside a built-up area that has no structure
荒地
城市中未開發的空地
an unused piece of ground within or beside a built-up area that has no structures on it and serves no purpose.
Children played football on a piece of waste ground behind the old cinema.
孩子們在老電影院後面的一塊荒地上踢足球。
collocation: waste ground
The waste lot near the train station was covered in weeds and broken glass.
火車站附近的那塊荒地長滿雜草，散落著碎玻璃。
Nikos wanted to turn the waste area into a community vegetable garden.
Nikos 想把那片荒地變成社區菜園。
Developers bought the waste site and built affordable apartments there.
建商買下那塊荒地，在那裡蓋了平價公寓。
- vacant lot
American English equivalent
- brownfield site
industrial land that may be contaminated; more technical
- empty plot
neutral term for unused land ready for building
用法筆記
Commonly used in British English in the phrase 'waste ground'. The American equivalent is usually 'vacant lot' or 'empty lot'. The noun can be either uncountable ('waste ground') or countable ('a waste lot').
5. expanses of remote territory that lack human settlement, crops, and most wildlif
荒野
廣闊荒蕪人煙稀少的土地
expanses of remote territory that lack human settlement, crops, and most wildlife, typically because the environmental conditions are too extreme.
The Arctic waste stretches for miles with nothing but ice and snow.
北極荒野綿延數英里，除了冰雪之外什麼都沒有。
collocation: Arctic/frozen/sandy waste
Explorers crossed the frozen waste of Siberia during the harsh winter.
探險隊在嚴冬中穿越了西伯利亞的冰凍荒野。
Reuben gazed across the dry waste where no crops could grow.
Reuben 望著那片寸草不生的乾旱荒野。
A vast waste of sand and rock lay between the two mountain ranges.
兩座山脈之間是一片廣闊的沙石荒野。
- wilderness
more general; can include forests and is not always barren
- desert
specifically dry, sandy, or rocky waste
- barren land
emphasises the inability to support plant or animal life
用法筆記
Often preceded by a descriptive adjective ('frozen', 'sandy', 'arid') that names the specific landscape type. Typically used in singular with 'a' when referring to one specific area.
waste — 動詞
- wastepresent simple I / you / we / they
- wastes3rd person singular
- wasting-ing form
- wastedpast simple
1. to use more of something than you need to, or to use it in a way that produces n
浪費
無謂消耗時間金錢
to use more of something than you need to, or to use it in a way that produces nothing of value, especially when the supply is limited.
Asher wasted his entire allowance on video games he barely played.
Asher 把整筆零用錢都浪費在幾乎沒玩過的電玩遊戲上。
waste + money on [something]
Don't waste your time arguing with people who refuse to listen.
別浪費時間跟不願意聽的人爭論。
Tariro wasted three hours waiting for a bus that never arrived.
Tariro 花了三個小時等一班從沒來過的公車，白白浪費了時間。
The company wasted millions on a marketing campaign that failed completely.
那間公司把幾百萬元浪費在一個徹底失敗的行銷活動上。
Hui warned her younger brother not to waste the chance to study medicine abroad.
Hui 告誡弟弟不要浪費出國學醫的機會。
- squander
stronger, more disapproving; suggests deliberate carelessness with something valuable
- fritter away
suggests using small amounts until nothing is left
- blow
informal; means spending a large amount of money quickly and carelessly
文法句型
waste + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object is typically a resource (time, money, food, energy, talent) or an opportunity. The preposition 'on' introduces what the resource was spent on. Also used with gerund: 'waste time doing something'.
常見錯誤
2. to murder someone, used especially in informal or criminal conversation.
幹掉
用暴力殺死
to murder someone, used especially in informal or criminal conversation.
In the crime film, the gangster threatened to waste his rival outside the bar.
在那部犯罪電影裡，幫派分子威脅要在酒吧外幹掉對手。
informal register: waste [somebody]
The detective found evidence that the victim had been wasted by professional hitmen.
警探發現證據顯示受害者是被職業殺手做掉的。
passive: be wasted by [killer]
Reuben read a novel where the main character wasted three enemies in a shootout.
Reuben 讀了一本小說，主角在一場槍戰中幹掉了三個敵人。
Shirin refused to watch films where gangsters casually waste innocent people.
Shirin 拒絕觀看那些黑幫分子隨意殺害無辜百姓的電影。
文法句型
waste + somebody
用法筆記
Strongly informal and associated with organised crime, gangster films, and violent fiction. Not appropriate in formal writing, news reporting, or polite conversation.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The soldiers wasted the enemy troops in battle.' (inappropriate for formal/war context) — This slang sense belongs to criminal or film contexts, not military reporting.
3. to damage or destroy a place or area so completely that nothing useful or living
摧毀
徹底破壞使成廢墟
to damage or destroy a place or area so completely that nothing useful or living remains.
The earthquake wasted entire fishing villages along the coast of the island.
地震摧毀了島嶼沿岸好幾個漁村。
collocation: wasted by earthquake/war/fire
Years of war wasted the farmland, leaving burned fields and empty houses.
連年戰火摧毀了農田，只剩下燒焦的田地和空蕩蕩的房子。
A wildfire wasted thousands of acres of forest and forced people to evacuate.
一場野火燒毀了數千英畝森林，迫使居民撤離。
The plague wasted the city's population in the fourteenth century.
十四世紀的那場瘟疫幾乎摧毀了整座城市的人口。
- devastate
the most common modern equivalent for this meaning
- ravage
similar register; suggests violent and widespread destruction
- lay waste to
formal/idiomatic phrase with the same meaning
文法句型
waste + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense has a literary or historical feel. In modern English, 'devastate' or 'destroy' are more common. The phrase 'lay waste' is a related formal idiom meaning 'to completely destroy'.
4. to become increasingly thin and weak, or to cause someone to lose strength and w
衰弱
逐漸消瘦或變得虛弱
to become increasingly thin and weak, or to cause someone to lose strength and weight, usually because of illness or lack of food.
Ife's body was wasted by months of hunger and illness in the refugee camp.
Ife 的身體因為在難民營裡數月的飢餓和疾病而虛弱不堪。
passive: be wasted by [illness/hunger]
Shanti watched her cat waste away from a mysterious disease the vet could not cure.
Shanti 看著她的貓因為一種獸醫無法治癒的怪病而日漸衰弱。
phrasal: waste away
The disease slowly wasted the old man's muscles until walking became impossible.
疾病慢慢侵蝕老人的肌肉，直到他無法行走。
Without proper food or clean water, the prisoners wasted to almost nothing within weeks.
沒有充足的食物和乾淨的水，那些囚犯在幾週內就瘦得不成人形。
- strengthen
to become stronger
- thrive
to grow strong and healthy
文法句型
waste away
be wasted by [illness/hunger]
用法筆記
The intransitive form 'waste away' is more common than the transitive. The transitive form ('disease wasted his body') is quite formal or literary. Common in medical contexts describing muscle atrophy or cachexia.
waste — 形容詞
- wastepositive
- wastercomparative
- wastestsuperlative
1. describes things that have been thrown away because they are considered useless,
廢棄的
因無用而被丟掉的
describes things that have been thrown away because they are considered useless, broken, or no longer needed.
The recycling company collects waste paper and cardboard from office buildings.
回收公司到辦公大樓收集廢紙和紙板。
collocation: waste paper
The factory sold its waste metal to a scrapyard for reprocessing.
工廠把廢金屬賣給廢鐵廠進行再處理。
collocation: waste metal/plastic
Waste materials from the construction site were taken to the local dump.
建築工地的廢棄材料被運到了當地的垃圾場。
Shirin turned waste fabric from the tailor's workshop into colourful patchwork cushions.
Shirin 把裁縫店的碎布料做成了色彩繽紛的拼布抱枕。
Tariro used waste wood from an old barn to build shelves for his workshop.
Tariro 用舊穀倉的廢木料為自己的工作室釘了層架。
文法句型
waste + noun (materials/paper/products)
用法筆記
Always used attributively (before a noun). Refers specifically to materials that can be reused or recycled, unlike 'waste' as a noun which covers all unwanted matter. Common in business and environmental contexts.
2. describes a place that has been destroyed or severely damaged, with buildings an
殘破的
遭到破壞而殘破的
describes a place that has been destroyed or severely damaged, with buildings and land left in a broken, unusable condition.
After the bombing, the entire city centre lay waste and completely deserted.
轟炸過後，整個市中心一片殘破，完全無人居住。
phrase: lay waste
The garden was left waste after the tornado tore down every tree and fence.
龍捲風吹倒了所有的樹木和圍欄，花園變得殘破不堪。
phrase: left waste
Villagers returned to find their homes waste and covered in ash from the volcano.
村民回到家鄉，發現家園已成廢墟，覆蓋著火山灰。
The fields lay waste for a decade after the war destroyed the irrigation systems.
戰爭摧毀了灌溉系統之後，田地殘破了十年之久。
- devastated
more common in modern English
- ruined
general term for something destroyed or spoiled
- desolate
emphasises emptiness and abandonment
- intact
not damaged or broken
- flourishing
growing or developing successfully
文法句型
lay waste
lie waste
用法筆記
Most commonly used after 'lay' in the fixed phrase 'lay waste' (meaning 'to destroy completely'). When used as a predicate adjective, often pairs with 'lay' or 'lie': 'the land lay waste'.
3. describes land that is empty, wild, and not suitable for growing crops or suppor
荒蕪的
不適合耕種居住的
describes land that is empty, wild, and not suitable for growing crops or supporting life.
The road cut through miles of waste land with no houses or trees in sight.
公路穿越了數英里的荒蕪之地，看不見任何房屋或樹木。
collocation: waste land
Farmers abandoned the waste fields after the soil became too salty for anything to grow.
農民放棄了那片荒蕪的田地，因為土壤鹽化後什麼都種不出來。
Only tough bushes could survive in that waste landscape of dry rock and sand.
在那片乾燥多石的荒蕪地貌中，只有少數耐旱的灌木能存活。
The region was a waste area of dry grass, scattered rocks, and abandoned huts.
該地區是一片長滿乾草、散落岩石和廢棄小屋的荒蕪地帶。
- barren
focuses on inability to grow plants
- desolate
emphasises emptiness and sadness of the landscape
- uncultivated
neutral term for land not used for farming
- fertile
describes land that is good for growing crops
- cultivated
land that has been prepared and used for crops
文法句型
waste + noun (land/fields/region)
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun like 'land' or 'region'). 'Waste land' and 'waste ground' are the most common collocations. In modern English, 'barren' or 'desolate' are more common alternatives.