waste away

waste away

1. To dwindle toward a state of nothingness or complete decrepitude; to wither away. He didn't want them to see him wasting away from the cancer. The old industrial site just sits out there wasting away, unable to be rezoned due to contamination.
2. To squander something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "waste" and "away." I feel like we've been wasting away every weekend watching TV. Let's try to get out of the house tomorrow. The old fool wasted his fortune away on trips to the casino.
See also: away, waste
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

waste something away

to use something up wastefully; to dissipate something. He wasted all his money away and had to live in poverty. They wasted away everything and regretted it later.
See also: away, waste

waste away

to wither or dwindle away. Our money just seemed to waste away. As she grew older, she just sort of wasted away.
See also: away, waste
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

waste away

Lose energy and vigor, become enfeebled and weak, as in She was wasting away before our eyes. [Late 1300s]
See also: away, waste
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

waste away

v.
1. To lose energy, strength, weight, or vigor; become weak or enfeebled: The patient wasted away from cancer.
2. To spend some time idly or wastefully: They are wasting their lives away playing video games. The idle rich waste away their days.
See also: away, waste
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • are we away
  • Are we away?
  • away
  • draw away
  • do away with
  • do away with (someone, something, or oneself)
  • draw away from (someone or something)
  • dwindle away
  • drift away
  • be far and away
References in periodicals archive
Caption: Tumors implanted in adult female fruit flies cause healthy ovaries (one shown, left) to waste away. The wasting (right) is caused by a protein secreted by cancer cells.
Why cancer patients waste away
According to official date provided by Her Majesty''s Revenue and Customs, Waste Away was fined PS42,000 on taxes of PS57,586 for the period between November 2010 and February this year, while the directors of the Volunteer Arms Ltd was fined PS40,832 on unpaid taxes of PS58,332 over the period between May 2011 and this January.
FIRMS ARE NAMED AND SHAMED
It will eventually divert more than 34,000 tonnes of food store waste away from landfill every year, which will be re-cycled, re-used, turned into energy or sold on.
Store's green award
Ten million turkeys being reared for the festive period are at risk from blackhead, which spreads through earthworms and causes the birds to waste away slowly.
Disease threat to turkeys
More than 50 of J & B Recycling's customers have now achieved zero waste to landfill accreditation in the last year by diverting all of their waste away from landfill.
More firms are recycling all waste
Name the food store chain which plans to divert all its waste away from landfill?
Quick Quiz
He said he lived above the shop and had that he had made arrangements with an unknown male to take waste away from his property.
Disgrace of the roadside rubbish tip; Shopkeeper's shame over dump
Latest figures from Environment Agency Wales show Denbighshire and Isle of Anglesey Councils have used the least amount of their allowance to divert biodegradable waste away from landfill.
Councils hitting waste targets
Her visit included Brindleyplace's recycling efforts which sees it divert 100 per cent of its waste away from landfill with waste that cannot be recycled at source sent for incineration for energy and the energy used to power homes in Birmingham.
Shadow secretary visits environmental successes
The new guide also suggests parents should encourage their newly qualified offspring to be realistic about job expectations - warning that many people "waste away the years" attempting to become actors and film script writers.
Parents warned not to 'nag' new graduates about getting a job
She added: "Otherwise they will waste away. I'm so restricted in what exercise so something that is power operated is ideal.
Fitness gear gym success for disabled; HEALTH
After several warnings from Kirklees Council all residents failed to clean the waste away within 28 days.
A CLEAN SWEEP! Nine fined for grotty gardens as council gets tough
It is heartbreaking to watch a loved pet waste away due to someone out to make money from pedigree dogs.
Letter: Mail Box - ARE COPS' SICKIES THE REAL THING?
"It is also important to divert green waste away from landfill as this can be damaging to the environment and is a major source of methane gas."
Green experts chip in with praise
In the Guam disease, people typically lose muscle strength and control and then waste away. Studies of these cases might reveal a chemical trigger for certain neurological conditions, comments Peter Spencer at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.
Guam mystery disease from bat entree? (Troubling Treat)