wastrel
/ˈweɪstɹəl/noun
wastrel is spelled W-A-S-T-R-E-L: 7 letters. It appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 125,655th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, wastrel means “One who is profligate, who wastes time or resources extravagantly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of wastrel is wastrels.
How many letters and syllables are in wastrel?
| Letters | 7: W-A-S-T-R-E-L |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 17 million words; the 125,655th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is wastrel?
Wastrel appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 125,655th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce wastrel?
- /ˈweɪstɹəl/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-wastrel.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-wastrel.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of wastrel
- wastrels plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does wastrel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
datedOne who is profligate, who wastes time or resources extravagantly.
- 2
obsoleteA neglected child.
- 3
obsoleteRefuse; rubbish.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Wastrel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense A person who wastes resources and/or time:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Verschwender |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does wastrel come from?
1847, waste + -rel (pejorative).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).