desperdiçada

Desperdiçada is the feminine form of the past participle of the Portuguese verb desperdiçar. It functions as an adjective meaning wasted or squandered, and is used to describe time, money, resources, opportunities, or energy. For example: tempo desperdiçado, dinheiro desperdiçado, recursos desperdiçados, oportunidades desperdiçadas. The masculine form is desperdiçado.

Grammatically, it can be used as a descriptive adjective (energia desperdiçada) or in passive constructions such as "o tempo foi desperdiçado" or "as oportunidades foram desperdiçadas." The related noun is desperdício, meaning waste or squander; the verb is desperdiçar, formed with the prefix des- attached to perder, conveying the sense of wasting.

In usage, desperdiçada carries a negative connotation, signaling inefficiency, neglect, or lost potential. It appears in everyday language as well as in literature and media when describing wasted outcomes or underutilized resources. The term is typical of Brazilian and European Portuguese, and functions similarly across varieties of the language.