rubbish

[ ruhb-ish ]
See synonyms for rubbish on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. worthless, unwanted material that is rejected or thrown out; debris; litter; trash.

  2. nonsense, as in writing or art: sentimental rubbish.

Origin of rubbish

1
1350–1400; Middle English rubbes, rob(b)ous< ?; cf. rubble

Other words for rubbish

Words Nearby rubbish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rubbish in a sentence

  • People ought to know that if they stuff themselves silly with high-calorie, rubbish foods they will get fat.

    Britain’s Weighty Issue | Emma Woolf | January 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • It's complete rubbish from the outside, and on a day like this it's going to look even worse.

    The Resurgence of British Cuisine | Condé Nast Traveler | January 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Presently, one of the foremen or overlookers saw it, and wanted to know what all that rubbish had been put there for.

    Asbestos | Robert H. Jones
  • 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.

    The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • To tell the truth, Henry had found a few things in the rubbish which he had stored in his own pocket.

    The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • And more than one broken flask on its way to the rubbish heap was carefully carried up the hill to the hidden family.

    The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler Warner

British Dictionary definitions for rubbish

rubbish

/ (ˈrʌbɪʃ) /


noun
  1. worthless, useless, or unwanted matter

  2. discarded or waste matter; refuse

  1. foolish words or speech; nonsense

verb
  1. (tr) informal to criticize; attack verbally

Origin of rubbish

1
C14 robys, of uncertain origin

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with rubbish

rubbish

see good riddance (to bad rubbish).

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.