trash
trash
Trash (noun) means Discarded material; garbage or rubbish. Example: “The foxes tipped over the bin and spread trash across the garden.”
noun
1
Discarded material; garbage or rubbish.
"The foxes tipped over the bin and spread trash across the garden."
"Please put your plastic bottles in the recycling, not in the trash."
"Take the trash out before the truck comes on Monday."
2
Something considered worthless or of very poor quality.
"I read a few pages of that novel and thought it was trash."
"Don't waste your money on that gadget, because it's complete trash."
"Critics called the film utter trash."
verb
1
To throw something away.
"I trashed the stale bread instead of feeding it to the ducks."
"He trashed the letter without even opening the envelope."
"She trashed the old receipts she no longer needed."
2
To damage or wreck something badly.
"The storm trashed our garden furniture and flattened the old shed."
"The toddlers trashed the living room within minutes of arriving."
"The band trashed their hotel room after the show."
3
To criticize someone or something harshly.
"Fans trashed the referee's decision on social media all evening."
"She trashed her old boss in an interview, which was unwise."
"The reviewer trashed the new restaurant in his column."
How to use trash
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGarbage, or by extension anything worthless — and as a verb, to throw away, wreck, or badly criticize something.
Common pairings
take out the trash
trash talk
trash the room
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Word forms
- Plural
- trashes
- Third person singular
- trashes
- Past tense
- trashed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The foxes tipped over the bin and spread _____ across the garden.
Etymology
From Middle English trasch, likely from Old Norse tros, "rubbish, fallen twigs and leaves."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for trash
See all rhymes for trash →Frequently asked questions
What does “trash” mean?
The word “trash” means discarded material; garbage or rubbish. In plain terms, garbage, or by extension anything worthless — and as a verb, to throw away, wreck, or badly criticize something.
How do you pronounce “trash”?
“Trash” is pronounced trash (/tɹæʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “trash” in a sentence?
Here is “trash” used in a sentence: “Take the trash out before the truck comes on Monday.”
What is another word for “trash”?
Words with a similar meaning to “trash” include garbage (1-3), junk (1,3), rubbish, waste, cultch and debris.
What part of speech is “trash”?
Depending on how it is used, “trash” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “trash” come from?
The word “trash” comes from Middle English. From Middle English trasch, likely from Old Norse tros, "rubbish, fallen twigs and leaves.".
Is “trash” a common word?
“Trash” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “trash” have?
“Trash” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: discarded material; garbage or rubbish.
What is the difference between trash and garbage?
In everyday American English the two are near-synonyms for waste. A traditional distinction is that garbage means wet, food-related waste that rots, while trash means dry discarded items such as paper, packaging, and broken objects. Most people now use both words loosely for rubbish of almost any kind.
What is the difference between trash and recycling?
Trash is waste meant for disposal, sent to landfill or incineration. Recycling is material such as certain paper, glass, metal, and plastics that is collected separately so it can be processed into new products. Sorting recyclables out of the trash reduces how much ultimately ends up buried in landfill.
Is trash an American or a British word?
"Trash" is the usual word in American English, while British English tends to prefer "rubbish." Both mean discarded material. "Garbage" is also mainly American, and "waste" works in both varieties. Thanks to American film and television, "trash" is widely understood by English speakers everywhere.
Can trash be used to describe something bad?
Yes. Informally, calling something "trash" means it is worthless or of very poor quality, as in "that movie was trash." Applied to a person it becomes a strong insult, so the figurative sense should be used with care. The literal meaning is simply discarded material or rubbish.
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