rubbish
RUH-bihsh
Rubbish (noun) means (chiefly British) Waste material; trash or garbage. Example: “Take the rubbish out before the bin men come.”
noun
1
(chiefly British) Waste material; trash or garbage.
"Take the rubbish out before the bin men come."
"Please put all your rubbish in the black bin outside the back door."
"Volunteers picked up bags of rubbish from the beach on Saturday morning."
2
Nonsense; something untrue or absurd.
"Don't listen to him, he's talking rubbish."
"That story about aliens living next door is complete rubbish, and you know it."
"I read the review, but I think most of it is rubbish."
adjective
1
(informal, British) Very poor in quality; bad.
"The film was absolutely rubbish."
"I think this torch is rubbish, because the batteries died within an hour."
"My phone signal is rubbish out here in the countryside."
verb
1
To criticize or dismiss something harshly.
"The critics rubbished his new album."
"Some newspapers rubbished the idea before anyone had even read the full proposal."
"Don't rubbish her work until you have tried doing it yourself."
How to use rubbish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBritish word for trash, or for nonsense; also used as an adjective meaning "bad," and as a verb meaning to criticize something.
UK vs US
This word (in all its senses) is much more common in British English; Americans typically say "garbage" or "trash" and "terrible" or "awful."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
take out the rubbish
talk rubbish
rubbish bin
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Word forms
- Plural
- rubbishes
- Third person singular
- rubbishes
- Past tense
- rubbished
- Comparative
- more rubbish, rubbisher
- Superlative
- most rubbish, rubbishest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Take the _____ out before the bin men come.
Etymology
From Middle English robous, meaning building waste or broken stone — its exact origin before that is uncertain.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “rubbish” mean?
The word “rubbish” means (chiefly British) Waste material; trash or garbage. In plain terms, british word for trash, or for nonsense; also used as an adjective meaning "bad," and as a verb meaning to criticize something.
How do you pronounce “rubbish”?
“Rubbish” is pronounced RUH-bihsh (/ˈɹʌbɪʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “rubbish” in a sentence?
Here is “rubbish” used in a sentence: “Take the rubbish out before the bin men come.”
What part of speech is “rubbish”?
Depending on how it is used, “rubbish” can be a noun, an adjective and a verb.
Where does the word “rubbish” come from?
The word “rubbish” comes from Middle English. From Middle English robous, meaning building waste or broken stone — its exact origin before that is uncertain.
Is “rubbish” a common word?
“Rubbish” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “rubbish” have?
“Rubbish” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: (chiefly British) Waste material; trash or garbage.
What is the difference between "rubbish" and "garbage"?
Both mean waste material, but "rubbish" is chiefly British and "garbage" is chiefly American. "Rubbish" also carries extra meanings in British English, where it can mean nonsense or describe something of very poor quality.
What is the difference between "rubbish" and "trash"?
They are close in meaning, with "rubbish" being the usual British word for waste and "trash" the more common American one. In British usage "rubbish" also works as an informal adjective meaning bad, as in "the weather was rubbish."
Can "rubbish" be used as an adjective?
Yes. In informal British English, "rubbish" is used as an adjective meaning very poor in quality, as in "the film was rubbish" or "I'm rubbish at maths."
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