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Synonyms

throwaway

American  
[throh-uh-wey] / ˈθroʊ əˌweɪ /

adjective

  1. made or intended to be discarded after use or quick examination.

    a throwaway container;

    a throwaway brochure.

  2. delivered or expressed casually or extemporaneously.

    a funny throwaway line that brings applause.

noun

  1. something that is made or intended to be discarded.

  2. a handbill, advertising circular, pamphlet, etc., intended to be discarded after reading.

  3. Also called pushout.  Informal: Disparaging and Offensive. a youth who is unwanted or rejected by their family, the school system, or society in general.

throwaway British  
/ ˈθrəʊəˌweɪ /

adjective

  1. said or done incidentally, esp for rhetorical effect; casual

    a throwaway remark

    1. anything designed to be discarded after use rather than reused, refilled, etc; disposable

    2. ( as modifier )

      a throwaway carton
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a handbill or advertisement distributed in a public place

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to get rid of; discard

  2. to fail to make good use of; waste

    to throw away all one's money on horses
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of throwaway

First recorded in 1900–05; adjective, noun use of verb phrase throw away

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Your older sister’s throwaway comment sliced right to your center.

From Literature

In countries with highly-restricted internet and a high rate of hacking, it may make sense to take a “throwaway” phone that you’ll be able to erase when you return home.

From Salon

“For so long, people thought it was just the most effortless throwaway career,” Berman says.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Welsh government said laying regulations for Wales's DRS was a major step towards ending throwaway culture.

From BBC

What might at first seem a bit of preciousness, and which even Gyllenhaal initially makes seem a bit of a throwaway, reveals itself to have a much deeper meaning.

From Los Angeles Times

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.