Do you care enough to look up words when you don’t know what they mean? Then you’re in the right place! Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great meme for word nerds hosted by Kathy at Bermuda Onion.
I’ve got another word from Gone Girl. In this quote, one of the main characters, Nick, describes how he looked at a press conference:
The booze floating, sludgelike, just beneath the surface of my skin made me look like a fleshy wastrel, just sensuous enough to be disreputable.
wastrel \’wās-trēl\ noun from an irregular form of waste; one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently; one who wastes time, money, etc.
Word Nerd Workout
Have you ever known a wastrel? Tell us about him or her in a sentence. Fortunately, my only experience with wastrels has been through fiction. Here’s my sentence:
I shuddered at the story of the young man who wasted all of his money on alcohol and gambling and hoped that my son would never be such a wastrel.
Spread the word on Twitter: wastrel = one who wastes time, money, via @juliatomiak
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Julia
This is one word I could define via context clues – it’s a good one! There are times I would love to be a wastrel and be completely unproductive all day, but I just can’t seem to do it.
I like the way you used the word in a sentence.
Unfortunately I do know a wastrel and it is not a very pleasant experience :-/
I’m not sure that I know any wastrels myself, but have come across the word in literature on several occasions.
I knew this word, I have to read Gone Girl.
We have a niece who has exhibited the characteristics of a wastrel in the past. She’s got 2 kids now, though, and seems to have straightened herself out.