The word "浪费" is formed through a conceptual combination of its two component characters. The first character, "浪", which originally means "wave", evokes an image of something spreading out uncontrollably, being excessive, or flowing without purpose. The second character, "费", means to spend or use up. When combined, they create a compound idea that visually and conceptually represents the act of using or scattering resources (like time, money, or effort) as freely and purposelessly as waves dissipating energy, thus arriving at the core meaning of "to waste" or "to squander".