rubbish

[ruhb-ish]

noun

1. worthless, unwanted material that is rejected or thrown out; debris; litter; trash.

2. nonsense, as in writing or art.

   sentimental rubbish.

   Synonyms: bosh, drivel, balderdash, rot

rubbish

/ ˈrʌbɪʃ /

noun

1. worthless, useless, or unwanted matter

2. discarded or waste matter; refuse

3. foolish words or speech; nonsense

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rubbish¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rubbish¹

C14 robys , of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

see good riddance (to bad rubbish).

Example Sentences

"We need to stop rubbishing Reform or at least stop rubbishing people who vote for Reform," he said to cheers from Tory activists.

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Sir Keir said the woman complained about "a group of men from Eastern Europe" who had recently moved into her street, "didn't put the rubbish out at the right time and spat on the ground".

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But the chancellor played down the figure and criticised such forecasters, saying "a lot of them are talking rubbish".

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Diners enjoying the sunset at a beach-side restaurant - and the piles of rubbish along the rickety stairs to get there.

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And there was another crucial change – instead of putting their rubbish out on the street in plastic bags, now most New Yorkers are obliged to put their waste in rat-proof bins.

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Related Words

• debris 
• junk 
• lumber 
• rubble 
• trash 
• waste 

When To Use

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.