noun
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fragments or remnants of something destroyed or broken; rubble
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a collection of loose material derived from rocks, or an accumulation of animal or vegetable matter
Etymology
Origin of debris
First recorded in 1700–10; from French débris, Middle French debris, derivative of debriser “to break up (into pieces),” Old French debrisier, from de- de- + brisier “to break” ( bruise )
Explanation
Debris is trash scattered around after a disaster, like shattered glass on the road after a car accident. Debris comes from French for "waste, rubbish." Although debris usually refers to the trash leftover after some kind of explosion or crash, it can also be what's on your floor after hosting a kid's make-your-own pizza party, or what you shouldn't leave at the park after a picnic. Sometimes Mother Nature leaves debris, such as a pile of rocks, or that car on your lawn after the flood recedes. Don't pronounce the "s": debris rhymes with "be free."
Vocabulary lists containing debris
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 8
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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.
“There’s a lot of debris that comes down, and we work with our recovery forces in order to ensure that it doesn’t hit them. But of course we don’t want it to hit anyone else.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
The debris takes a long time to decay, meaning the ground is stable until…it isn’t.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said that it intercepted seven ballistic missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern Region, with debris falling near energy facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Officials in Abu Dhabi said they were battling fires caused by falling debris at a petrochemical facility.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
It had been a full day since he and the other Yaba warriors had emerged from the Greater Jungle, covered in dirt and brambles and debris.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
