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rubbish
[ ruhb-ish ]
noun
- worthless, unwanted material that is rejected or thrown out; debris; litter; trash.
- nonsense, as in writing or art:
sentimental rubbish.
Synonyms: bosh, drivel, balderdash, rot
rubbish
/ ˈrʌbɪʃ /
noun
- worthless, useless, or unwanted matter
- discarded or waste matter; refuse
- foolish words or speech; nonsense
verb
- informal.tr to criticize; attack verbally
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of rubbish1
Idioms and Phrases
see good riddance (to bad rubbish) .Example Sentences
Plastic rubbish in the oceans also ensnares birds, turtles and other wildlife.
Science, by comparison, is “full of things that sound like complete rubbish” but turn out to work remarkably well—for example, neural nets, he says.
Publishers print stacks of rubbish – “Beach Reading” – for your sake.
The actor has since denied involvement in the projects, calling rumors to the contrary “rubbish.”
As he advanced his, eyebrows contracted, and his lips seemed to form the word “rubbish.”
People ought to know that if they stuff themselves silly with high-calorie, rubbish foods they will get fat.
It's complete rubbish from the outside, and on a day like this it's going to look even worse.
Presently, one of the foremen or overlookers saw it, and wanted to know what all that rubbish had been put there for.
And now, Monsieur Pujol,” said he impudently, “I am willing to sell you this rubbish for the cheque.
She hugged him, wheel and all, and began turning over the rubbish with great delight.
To tell the truth, Henry had found a few things in the rubbish which he had stored in his own pocket.
And more than one broken flask on its way to the rubbish heap was carefully carried up the hill to the hidden family.
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More About Rubbish
What is rubbish?
Rubbish is unwanted material, such as something you throw into a waste barrel, like a banana peel.
Rubbish is also something that is considered nonsense and not worth anything, like an idea or a piece of art.
In Australia and New Zealand, rubbish can mean to criticize or verbally attack. It’s often used informally.
Example: Make sure you clean up all this rubbish before you leave tonight.
Where does rubbish come from?
The first records of the term rubbish come from around 1350. It is thought to come from the Middle English rubbes, as does rubble. Rubbish usually refers to smaller particles of trash, while rubble describes large pieces of debris, such as chunks of masonry after a building has been demolished.
When rubbish is used figuratively to criticize something, it frequently refers to text or speech, as in That article is utter rubbish. But it can also refer to a piece of media as in, That film was rubbish. Rubbish is used more commonly in the United Kingdom than in the United States or other English-speaking nations, although it is still used worldwide in moderation.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to rubbish?
- rubbishy (adjective)
What are some synonyms for rubbish?
What are some words that share a root or word element with rubbish?
What are some words that often get used in discussing rubbish?
How is rubbish used in real life?
Rubbish is a commonly used word to mean either trash or nonsense.
sometimes the only solution to a rubbish day is going home to eat a lot of chocolate and climbing into bed
— M A R I N A (@MarinaDiamandis) January 25, 2019
Somebody bought a lotto ticket and thought he put it in the bin then spent 15 mins sifting through rubbish and found it in his pocket (me)
— Phil Lester (@AmazingPhil) January 8, 2016
Rubbish decision to send off Mané. Rubbish.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) September 9, 2017
Try using rubbish!
Is rubbish used correctly in the following sentence?
These decisions the mayor keeps making are absolute rubbish.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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