eager to waste

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "eager to waste" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It can be used to express a strong desire or willingness to squander resources, time, or opportunities. Example: "He seemed eager to waste his talents on trivial pursuits instead of focusing on his career."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Neither army was eager to waste lives.

The New Yorker

If you have a tendency to lose or break your expensive belongings, your parents probably won't be eager to "waste" more money on an expensive iPhone.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The residents cooked for each other, eager to not waste food that was thawing fast.

The New York Times

She stands alone, eager to show her wasted flesh and wasted anger.

The Guardian - Books

Suddenly he had a lot of close friends who were eager not to let his food go to waste.

The New Yorker

I was so eager to get there that I didn't want to waste time changing clothes.

The New York Times - Books

To waste billions?

The New Yorker

No time to waste.

Forbes

Nothing goes to waste.

WikiHow

Set valve to waste.

WikiHow

time to waste.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "eager to waste" when you want to express that someone is not just willing, but almost enthusiastic about using something up, even if it's not the best use of it. Ensure the context makes it clear what resource is being carelessly spent, such as time, money, or opportunities.

Common error

Be careful not to use "eager to waste" when you simply mean someone is willing to use something up. The phrase implies a certain recklessness or lack of concern for the value of the resource being used. If you want to convey willingness without this negative connotation, use alternatives like "willing to use" or "ready to expend".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "eager to waste" functions as a descriptive phrase, indicating a strong inclination or willingness to squander something. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, and examples show it describing a readiness to use resources carelessly.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "eager to waste" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe a willingness or enthusiasm to squander resources, often with a negative connotation. Ludwig AI confirms this, and real-world examples show its usage across news and media and wiki sources. While not extremely common, the phrase is well-understood. When using "eager to waste", it's important to be mindful of the implication of recklessness or lack of concern for value. If a more neutral tone is desired, alternatives like "willing to use" may be more appropriate. Be sure to check "enthusiastic about squandering", "inclined to squander", and "disposed to misuse" for semantically related alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

enthusiastic about squandering

Replaces "eager to waste" with a phrasing that is semantically close, by using "enthusiastic about squandering".

willing to squander

Uses "willing" instead of "eager", providing a more neutral tone and replaces "waste" with "squander" to emphasize reckless spending.

inclined to squander

Replaces "eager" with "inclined" and "waste" with "squander", slightly shifting the focus to a tendency to waste.

keen to fritter away

Replaces "eager" with "keen" emphasizing enthusiasm, and "waste" with "fritter away" highlighting gradual and trivial wasting.

inclined to throw away

Replaces "eager" with "inclined" expressing a tendency, and substitutes "waste" with "throw away", meaning to discard something.

disposed to misuse

Substitutes "eager" with "disposed" implying a natural inclination, and "waste" with "misuse" focusing on incorrect usage.

predisposed to exhaust

Replaces "eager" with "predisposed" suggesting a prior tendency, and "waste" with "exhaust" concentrating on complete usage.

ready to deplete

Replaces "eager" with "ready", emphasizing preparedness, and "waste" with "deplete" focusing on reducing resources.

showing a propensity to waste

Changes the structure to emphasize the demonstration of a tendency to waste, making it more descriptive.

happy to dissipate

Substitutes "eager" with "happy", indicating contentment, and "waste" with "dissipate", highlighting scattering or vanishing.

FAQs

How can I use "eager to waste" in a sentence?

You can use "eager to waste" to describe someone who seems enthusiastic about using resources carelessly. For example, "He seemed "eager to waste" his inheritance on frivolous purchases".

What's a more neutral alternative to "eager to waste"?

If you want a less judgmental phrase, consider "willing to use" or "ready to expend". These options don't carry the same connotation of recklessness as ""eager to waste"".

Is it ever appropriate to use "eager to waste" in a formal context?

While grammatically correct, ""eager to waste"" carries a slightly negative connotation. In formal writing, you might prefer a more neutral phrase like "inclined to squander" or "disposed to misuse" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What is the difference between "eager to waste" and "wasteful"?

"Eager to waste" describes someone's willingness or enthusiasm to use something carelessly, while "wasteful" describes something that causes waste or is characterized by waste. For example, "He was eager to waste his money," versus "His spending habits were wasteful".