noun
wastrel
WAYST-ruhl
noun
1
Someone who spends time or money recklessly, without care for the consequences.
"His father called him a wastrel for blowing his savings on gambling."
How to Use Wastrel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned word for someone who wastes money, time, or resources recklessly.
When to use it
Slightly literary or old-fashioned; rarely used in everyday speech now.
Word Forms
wastrels plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “wastrel”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
His father called him a _____ for blowing his savings on gambling.
Etymology
A 19th-century coinage combining waste with the pejorative suffix -rel, as in "scoundrel."