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desperdicio

des-pair-DEE-syoh/despeɾˈdisjo/

waste

Also: scraps, refuse
NounmB1
A half-eaten apple and a full sandwich sitting inside a trash can.

📝 In Action

Tirar comida es un gran desperdicio.

A2

Throwing away food is a huge waste.

Recogieron los desperdicios de la construcción.

B1

They picked up the construction debris.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • residuo (residue/waste)
  • sobra (leftover)

Antonyms

  • ahorro (saving)
  • provecho (benefit/good use)

Common Collocations

  • desperdicio de tiempo – waste of time
  • cero desperdicio – zero waste

I waste

Also: I squander
VerbB1regular ar
A garden hose on a green lawn with water pouring out into a large puddle.
gerunddesperdiciando
past Participledesperdiciado
infinitivedesperdiciar

📝 In Action

Yo nunca desperdicio el agua.

A2

I never waste water.

Si no estudio, desperdicio mi oportunidad.

B1

If I don't study, I waste my opportunity.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • malgastar (to misspend/waste)

Antonyms

  • aprovechar (to take advantage of/make good use of)

🔄 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 →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "desperdicio" in Spanish:

i squander→i waste→refuse→scraps→waste→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: desperdicio

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'desperdicio' as a noun meaning 'trash/scraps'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
desperdiciar(to waste) — Verb
desperdiciado(wasted) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the prefix 'des-' (meaning to undo or express a negative) and the word 'perder' (to lose). It literally describes the state of losing something through neglect.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: desperdício

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'desperdicio' be plural?

Yes! When referring to physical scraps or pieces of waste material, you often use 'desperdicios' in the plural.