Spanish word

desperdicio

Pronunciation

IPA/despeɾˈðiθjo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounwaste

Example

Es un desperdicio esperar tanto tiempo.

It's a waste to wait that long.

Illustration for desperdicio (waste)

More examples

Hay mucho desperdicio de comida en la cafetería.

There is a lot of food waste in the cafeteria.

Core concept

Avoidable loss of time, money, resources, or opportunities.

Common phrases

  • desperdicio de tiempo

    waste of time

  • desperdicio de comida

    food waste

Similar words

despilfarro: Excessive spending or squandering of money and goods through unnecessary purchases.
derroche: Lavish, abundant use of resources that leads to needless waste.
pérdida: Loss or disappearance of something so it becomes unavailable.
gasto: Spending or expenditure of money or time.

Definition in Spanish

Pérdida innecesaria de tiempo, dinero, recursos u oportunidades.

Word origin

Comes from Latin disperdere (dis- 'apart' + perdere 'to lose'), via the verb desperdiciar and then nominalized to name an avoidable loss.

Usage tips

  • Spanish speakers commonly say ¡Qué desperdicio! to complain about wasted food or time, while malgastar or derrochar are more often used for wasting money.

Other meanings

  • squanderingnoun
  • garbagenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word