The phrase "were wasteful with" contains two words with an irregular spelling. In IPA phonetic transcription, "were" is pronounced /wɜːr/ and "wasteful" is pronounced /ˈweɪstfəl/. The spelling of "were" is irregular because the "-ere" ending is pronounced as /ər/ instead of /ɛr/, like most other "-er" endings. "Wasteful" is spelled irregularly because it contains the suffix "-ful" but drops the final "l" before adding the "-ness" to form "wastefulness."
"Were wasteful with" refers to a phrase used to describe a situation where an individual or a group of people exhibited a careless or excessive use or expenditure of resources, resulting in unnecessary waste or depletion. The term "were wasteful with" implies that the person or group being referred to did not exercise prudence or discipline in managing or conserving the available resources.
The word "were" indicates that this wasteful behavior happened in the past, while the term "wasteful" conveys the disregard for efficiency or frugality. It suggests that the person or group did not make an effort to use resources judiciously and may have disregarded the possible consequences of their actions.
The word "with" indicates the context in which the wastefulness occurred. It implies that the resources in question were used in excess, unnecessary or extravagant ways. This wastefulness could encompass various domains, such as finance, energy, food, or materials.
For example, if one says that a company "were wasteful with their budget," it means that the company did not exercise discretion or efficiency in their financial management, often overspending or misallocating funds without considering the potential impact on their overall financial health.
Overall, "were wasteful with" suggests a lack of mindfulness and responsibility when it comes to utilizing resources, resulting in detrimental consequences for oneself, others, or the environment.