And so with one thing and other the auld witch raised the fiends of jealousy in that innocent heart. She would cry out that Heriotside was an ill-doing wastrel, and had no business to come and flatter honest lassies.
Source: wiktionary
Wastrel
/ˈweɪstɹəl/
Synonyms for "wastrel" (128 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
arabbad lotbeach bumbeachcomberbeggarbeggarly fellowbig-time spenderblack sheepblackguardblighterbobowery bumbudmashbumbummercaitiffcastawaycastoffdegeneratederelict
Show 5 more words
Noun(1 words)
Strong matches (38)
Related words (64)
poor creaturepoor devilprodigalprodigal sonprofligateragamuffinragmanragpickerrakerapscallionrascalrefuserejectreprobateriproguerouerounderrubbishsad case
Show 37 more words
sad sackscalawagscampscapegracescoundrelski bumskid-row bumspendspend-allspenderspendthriftsquandererstiffstraystreet arabstreet urchinsundownersurf bumswagmanswagsmantatterdemaliontennis bumtramptrashtruantturnpikerurchinvagvagabondvagrantvaurienwaifwaifs and strayswasterwastethriftworthless fellowwretch
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: arab, bad lot, beach bum, beachcomber, beggar.
- Sentence evidence is available for wastrel, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "wastrel".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "wastrel"
Keep "wastrel" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "wastrel" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "wastrel", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "wastrel" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
3 entriesCollocations
6 entriesidle wastrelsocial wastrelwastrel behaviorwastrel lifestylewastrel reputationyoung wastrel
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
3 total sentences available.
Mary’s mother—if that was her picture—may have been a wastrel in her spare time (she had thirteen children by a minister of the church), but if so her gay and dissipated life had left too few traces of its pleasures on her face.
Source: wiktionary
Party politics didn’t come naturally to me. I was a twentysomething crypto-anarchist wastrel from the outer suburbs of Bristol who’d spent five years after university moving between jobs and getting distracted.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "wastrel"?
Closest matches include arab, bad lot, beach bum, beachcomber, beggar.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "wastrel"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.