waster
/ˈweɪstə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈestɚ] /ˈweɪstər/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈestɚ] /ˈwā-stər How to pronounce waster (audio)/ (ame, mw)
waster — 名詞
- wastersingular
- wastersplural
1. someone who uses more time, money, or resources than is sensible, with little co
浪費者
浪費資源金錢的人或事物
someone who uses more time, money, or resources than is sensible, with little concern about the loss
Romi's old washing machine was a real water waster, using huge amounts for every single load.
Romi 那台舊洗衣機真是個浪費水的大戶，每洗一次衣服就得用掉大量水。
compound noun: [resource] waster
Piotr felt guilty about being a food waster, so he started planning his weekly meals more carefully.
Piotr 對自己是個浪費食物的人感到愧疚，於是開始更仔細地規劃每週的餐點。
That broken heater in the basement is an energy waster — you ought to replace it with a modern model.
地下室那台壞掉的暖氣是個浪費能源的機器，你最好換成新款的。
Nala was shocked when her teacher called her a waster for leaving the tap running all through break.
Nala 聽到老師因為她讓水龍頭在休息時間一直開著而說她是浪費者，感到十分驚訝。
The old printer in the office was such a paper waster that the manager finally threw it away.
辦公室那台舊印表機真是個浪費紙張的機器，主管最後索性把它扔掉。
- wasteful person
more neutral, less insulting; describes behaviour rather than identity
- squanderer
more formal and literary; emphasises deliberate misuse of resources like money or opportunity
- profligate
very formal; suggests moral disapproval of wasteful spending
- saver
someone who carefully keeps resources rather than using them up
- conservationist
someone who actively protects resources from being wasted
文法句型
waster of [resource]
[resource] waster (compound noun)
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus the resource being wasted (e.g., a waster of water, a waster of money). The compound form — resource noun + waster — is also very common (e.g., a food waster, an energy waster).
常見錯誤
2. a person who makes no effort to do anything useful or meaningful with their life
廢物；懶人
不做事、浪費才華的人
a person who makes no effort to do anything useful or meaningful with their life, choosing to ignore their talents and opportunities
Trang dropped out of school and refused to look for a job, so her uncle called her a lazy waster.
Trang 輟學後又不肯找工作，她叔叔說她是個懶惰的廢物。
Daichi spent his days playing video games, and his friends worried that he was becoming a complete waster.
Daichi 整天打電動，朋友們擔心他會變成一個徹底的廢人。
modifier: complete / total waster
The local teenagers were seen as wasters by older residents who never saw them study or hold a job.
社區裡的長輩都覺得 Mei-Lin 和她的朋友是廢物，因為從沒看過他們讀書或工作。
Anna had so much natural talent, but she never used it — everyone agreed she had turned into a waster.
Anna 很有天分卻從不發揮，大家都說她已經變成一個廢物。
Asher's mother told him he was a waster for spending all his savings on concert tickets instead of rent.
Asher 的媽媽罵他是個廢物，因為他把所有積蓄拿去買演唱會門票，卻不付房租。
- good-for-nothing
stronger, more openly insulting; common in both British and American English
- slacker
less harsh; emphasises avoidance of effort or work, common in American English
- layabout
British; a lazy person who avoids work, often used humorously
- idler
more neutral; someone who spends time doing nothing, not necessarily negative
文法句型
a [adjective] waster
a bit of a waster
用法筆記
Commonly used as a mild insult in informal British English, especially in phrases like 'a bit of a waster' or 'a complete waster.' Less common in American English, where terms like 'bum' or 'slacker' are preferred. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 emphasises wasteful use of resources, while sense 2 emphasises a lazy or unproductive lifestyle.
常見錯誤
3. a person, army, or natural force that ruins or destroys land, property, or other
破壞者
造成大規模毀滅的人或力量
a person, army, or natural force that ruins or destroys land, property, or other things completely
The invading army was a merciless waster of villages, burning and looting everything in their path.
入侵的軍隊是無情的村落破壞者，所到之處燒殺擄掠。
waster of + plural concrete noun (villages)
Environmental groups called the mining company a waster of precious forest land that had stood for centuries.
環保團體指責這家採礦公司是破壞珍貴林地的禍首，那片林地已經矗立了好幾個世紀。
A swarm of locusts can be a terrible waster of crops, destroying a whole season's harvest within days.
蝗蟲群是可怕的農作物毀滅者，不出數日就能將整季收成化為烏有。
Locals saw the new highway project as a waster of their beautiful countryside, but officials refused to stop.
當地居民將這條新高速公路視為鄉村美景的摧殘者，但官員拒絕停工。
- destroyer
the direct synonym; more common in everyday language for anyone or anything that destroys
- devastator
more intense; suggests widespread and severe destruction
- ravager
literary; emphasises violent, plundering destruction
文法句型
a waster of [land/village/crops]
用法筆記
Literary or formal register. Typically followed by 'of' and a concrete noun describing what is destroyed (e.g., a waster of farmland, a waster of historic buildings). This sense is much rarer than senses 1 and 2 and appears mostly in written, descriptive, or historical contexts.