great waste of time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "great waste of time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express frustration or disappointment regarding an activity or situation that is perceived as unproductive or unnecessary. Example: "After spending hours in that meeting, I realized it was just a great waste of time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

As Henry wanly observes at one point in the book: "Travel can be a great waste of time".

The Guardian

Many classic recipes say to butter the mold once, put it in the freezer and then butter it again -- a great waste of time.

The New York Times - Food

Forcing the government to take scientists off their lab benches to testify in court is a great waste of time and money — and unlikely to change the outcome of many, if any, trials.

The New Yorker

Here are three specific solutions to overcome Thomas L. Friedman's depiction of President Bush's second term as "The Great Waste of Time": Make computer literacy a graduation requirement from junior high school; tax all wages, not just those up to $90,000, to resolve the Social Security problem; make Medicare eligibility progressive, as in taxes.

The New York Times

Some people may feel inclined to sit around and do nothing, but this is a great waste of time.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

John Kenneth Galbraith, the economist who devised the phrase "the conventional wisdom," once told me that following sports was the second greatest waste of time known to America, after daytime television.

The New Yorker

After casting his vote, Trump now has a few presumably stressful-as-fuck hours to blow before his campaign party starts at 6 30 PM. "If we don't win," Trump said Monday at his final campaign stop in western Michigan, "this will be the single greatest waste of time, energy, and money in my life".

Vice

At the end of the day I am left with the impression that this has been much ado about very little and a great waste of energy, time and money.

BBC

Maybe the greatest waste of all was time.

Huffington Post

Let's take a look at nine more of the greatest wastes of money, time and space in modern history: There's something characteristically Putinesque about this macho gesture, to link the 5,000 inhabitants of Russky Island with their neighbours in the larger city of Vladivostock (population 600,000).

The Guardian - Opinion

'No, it wasn't frightening,' decrees the great sage, 'just a waste of time.' Equally a waste of time, in Lester's mind, is any great sense of guilt or regret for the mistakes he may have made along the way.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "great waste of time", ensure the context clearly explains why the activity is unproductive. Provide specific reasons to strengthen your argument.

Common error

Avoid using "great waste of time" as a generic complaint. Always provide concrete details to support your claim, otherwise, it comes across as unsubstantiated criticism.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "great waste of time" functions primarily as a noun phrase that serves as a subject complement or predicate nominative. It describes something that is considered unproductive or worthless. Ludwig examples show its use in various contexts to express disappointment or disapproval.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "great waste of time" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase to express that something is unproductive or worthless. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. While relatively rare, it appears most frequently in news and media contexts. For more formal situations, consider alternatives like "unproductive use of time". When using this phrase, provide specific reasons to support your evaluation. Remember that overuse without justification can weaken your message. The phrase functions as a noun phrase that describes something considered unproductive, and its communicative purpose is to express a negative evaluation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utter waste of time

Emphasizes the completeness of the wasted time, suggesting nothing positive came from the activity.

complete waste of time

Highlights that the entire time spent was unproductive or futile.

total waste of time

Indicates that the time investment yielded absolutely no beneficial results.

sheer waste of time

Stresses the unadulterated nature of the time wasted, with no redeeming qualities.

pure waste of time

Similar to "sheer waste of time", emphasizing the lack of any productive outcome.

pointless endeavor

Shifts focus to the activity itself being devoid of purpose or value.

futile exercise

Highlights the ineffectiveness of the activity, despite effort expended.

exercise in futility

Rephrases "futile exercise" to emphasize the overall lack of positive results.

fruitless activity

Underscores the lack of any beneficial outcome or result from the activity.

dead end

Metaphorically describes the activity as leading nowhere, with no progress or advancement.

FAQs

What does "great waste of time" mean?

A "great waste of time" signifies an activity or endeavor that yields minimal or no value, expending time without achieving meaningful results. It suggests the time could have been better spent on something more productive.

How to use "great waste of time" in a sentence?

You can use "great waste of time" to express frustration or disappointment regarding an activity. For example: "Attending that meeting was a "great waste of time" because nothing was accomplished."

What can I say instead of "great waste of time"?

You can use alternatives like "utter waste of time", "complete waste of time", or "total waste of time" to convey a similar sentiment.

Is it too informal to use "great waste of time" in formal writing?

While "great waste of time" is generally acceptable, in very formal contexts, you might consider more professional alternatives such as "unproductive use of time" or "inefficient allocation of resources". These phrases provide a similar meaning with a slightly more elevated tone.