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desperdiciar

des-pair-dee-syar/despeɾðiˈsjaɾ/

“desperdiciar” means “to waste” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to waste

Also: to squander
VerbA2regular ar
An apple core and half-eaten food sitting in a trash can while a full water bottle spills onto the ground.
gerunddesperdiciando
past Participledesperdiciado
infinitivedesperdiciar

📝 In Action

No desperdicies la comida, hay mucha gente con hambre.

A1

Don't waste the food; there are many hungry people.

Estamos desperdiciando mucha agua con esa manguera rota.

A2

We are wasting a lot of water with that broken hose.

Él desperdició todo su dinero en juegos de azar.

B1

He squandered all his money on gambling.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • malgastar (to waste/misspend)
  • derrochar (to squander/spend lavishly)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • desperdiciar comida – to waste food
  • desperdiciar dinero – to waste money

to waste

Also: to throw away
VerbB1regular ar
A person sitting on a park bench looking at a butterfly while a train departs in the background.

📝 In Action

No quiero desperdiciar esta oportunidad única.

B1

I don't want to waste this unique opportunity.

Siento que estoy desperdiciando mi tiempo en este trabajo.

B1

I feel like I'm wasting my time at this job.

Es una lástima que desperdicie su talento para la música.

B2

It's a shame that he's throwing away his talent for music.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • desperdiciar el tiempo – to waste time
  • desperdiciar una oportunidad – to waste an opportunity
  • desperdiciar el talento – to waste talent

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdiciaran
yodesperdiciara
túdesperdiciaras
vosotrosdesperdiciarais
nosotrosdesperdiciáramos
él/ella/usteddesperdiciara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdicien
yodesperdicie
túdesperdicies
vosotrosdesperdiciéis
nosotrosdesperdiciemos
él/ella/usteddesperdicie

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdiciaron
yodesperdicié
túdesperdiciaste
vosotrosdesperdiciasteis
nosotrosdesperdiciamos
él/ella/usteddesperdició

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdiciaban
yodesperdiciaba
túdesperdiciabas
vosotrosdesperdiciabais
nosotrosdesperdiciábamos
él/ella/usteddesperdiciaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesperdician
yodesperdicio
túdesperdicias
vosotrosdesperdiciáis
nosotrosdesperdiciamos
él/ella/usteddesperdicia
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: desperdiciar

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the most common translation for 'desperdiciar agua'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
el desperdicio(the waste/scraps) — Noun
desperdiciado(wasted) — Adjective
desperdiciador(wasteful person) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Spanish prefix 'des-' (meaning 'off' or 'away') combined with the concept of 'perder' (to lose). It literally suggests a loss that happened because something was cast aside.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: desperdiçar

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'perder el tiempo' and 'desperdiciar el tiempo'?

'Perder el tiempo' is the standard way to say 'waste time'. 'Desperdiciar el tiempo' is slightly more emphatic and suggests that the time was valuable and should have been used for something better.

Can I use 'desperdiciar' for money?

Yes! If you spend money on things that are useless or throw it away, 'desperdiciar' is the perfect word.

Is 'desperdicio' the same as 'basura'?

Not exactly. 'Basura' is trash/garbage in general. 'Desperdicios' (plural) usually refers to leftovers or scraps, like food that wasn't eaten.