discard

American  

[dih-skahrd, dis-kahrd] / dɪˈskɑrd, ˈdɪs kɑrd /

verb (used with object)

1. to cast aside or dispose of; get rid of.

   to discard an old hat.

   Antonyms:

   retain, preserve, keep, hold

2. Cards.

   1. to throw out (a card or cards) from one's hand.

   2. to play (a card, not a trump, of a different suit from that of the card led).

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verb (used without object)

1. Cards. to discard a card or cards.

noun

1. the act of discarding.

2. a person or thing that is cast out or rejected.

3. Cards. a card or cards discarded.

discard British  

verb

1. (tr) to get rid of as useless or undesirable

2. cards to throw out (a card or cards) from one's hand

3. cards to play (a card not of the suit led nor a trump) when unable to follow suit

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noun

1. a person or thing that has been cast aside

2. cards a discarded card

3. the act of discarding

Usage

What does discard mean? To discard something is to dispose of it or get rid of it. In card games, to discard a card is to get rid of it, such as by putting it in the discard pile. Discard can also be used as a noun referring to a card that has been discarded. It can also be used as a noun in a general way, but this is less common. Example: You should have thought about fixing up that old chair instead of just discarding it.

Other Word Forms

• discardable adjective
• discarder noun
• undiscardable adjective

Etymology

Origin of discard

First recorded in 1580–90; dis- ¹ + card ¹

Explanation

When you discard something, you get rid of it. If your closet is overflowing with clothes you haven't worn since 1992, why not discard some of them? When the verb discard first entered the English language in the sixteenth century, it referred to card playing and meant “to throw a card away.” Discard is still used to describe getting rid of unlucky cards, but today, you’ll also hear it used in a broader sense — we discard, or throw away, things that are undesirable or no longer useful. You might discard a worn out shoe, for example.

Example Sentences

Researchers estimate that more than a trillion microplastic fibers may be released worldwide every month as people use and discard these everyday cleaning tools.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

She testified that she dropped him off near the Spohr’s home and later saw him discard items from his backpack after they crossed the Nevada state line.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

In Longyearbyen, owners of the Kroa seafood restaurant decided to discard a marble bust of communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin that had been given to them as a gift from Barentsburg.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

At various points on his journey, Noah appeared to discard some of his possessions including his rucksack and mobile phone.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

I took the paper and put it in my pocket, intending to discard it as soon as I could.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• abandon
• cancel
• dispense with
• dispose of
• ditch
• dump
• eliminate
• give up
• jettison
• reject
• remove
• renounce
• repeal
• scrap
• shed