Explaining "Waste not, want not"

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 25/10/2024, 08:06

English.me team member

What does it mean?

The phrase "Waste not, want not" means that if you do not waste resources and use them wisely, you will not lack them in the future.

Tone

Advisory

Origin

In 1721, it was recorded as "Willful waste makes woeful want," capturing the same sentiment. By August 10, 1772, in a letter to Alexander Clark, John Wesley expressed the idea in a form resembling today's version: "He will waste nothing; but he must want nothing." Over time, the phrase simplified to the contemporary form we use today.

Examples of usage

By using leftovers in creative recipes, she lived by the motto "Waste not, want not".
He always fixed his old gadgets instead of throwing them away, believing firmly in "Waste not, want not".