discard

[ verb dih-skahrd; noun dis-kahrd ]

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).

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

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

noun

1. a person or thing that has been cast aside
2. cards a discarded card
3. the act of discarding

Derived Forms

• disˈcarder, noun

Other Words From

• dis·card·a·ble adjective
• dis·card·er noun
• un·dis·card·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of discard¹

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

Example Sentences

Cooks had to track any discard that couldn’t be repurposed—including food that came back from the dining room uneaten on each plate—before emptying it into the composter.

From Time

When Nicole Anzia helps clients get their homes in order, she sees certain items time and time again, and they usually end up in the discard bin.

From Washington Post

And in a way that was right, because he was keen to save the best bits of it and to discard the worst.

From The Daily Beast

His past lives all display a remarkable bloodlust, one he continues to discard.

From The Daily Beast

So maybe what I've really got here is an Old Master discard being used – by me, the museum visitor – as a modern objet trouvé.

From The Daily Beast

Discard your alcohol and dispose of your pork “The Muslims Are Coming!”

From The Daily Beast

Anyone walking down a Manhattan street on trash day knows that New Yorkers discard some spectacular things.

From The Daily Beast

William, indeed, was not the man to discard an old friend for a new one.

From Project Gutenberg

The vote which required the King to discard them merely because they were what he himself was seemed to him a personal affront.

From Project Gutenberg

He would discard any doctrine which, logically carried out, led to absurdity.

From Project Gutenberg

"Yes; she was too genuinely a lady to encourage his suit, then discard him at the last moment," he concluded, despondently.

From Project Gutenberg

Here you are, slouchin' around without a dressin' jacket er slippers en talkin' 'bout an ole song that's in the discard.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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

More About Discard

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.

Where does discard come from?

The first records of discard come from around the 1580s. It is formed from the noun card (and its use in the context of card games goes back at least to the 1590s). The prefix dis- is used to mean “away” and implies removal.

You can discard both physical and nonphysical things. You discard your trash. When you clean out your garage, you discard the old things you don’t use anymore. When you cook, you often discard scraps like onion skins. You can discard a bad idea or a first draft. You can even discard people, but this means that you reject them or stop having them be part of your life. The word often implies permanence—when you discard something, it’s usually gone forever. For this reason, it can imply that you should have cared more about it. Sometimes, there are better things to do with something than just discarding it. Instead of discarding leftover food, some restaurants donate it to food banks. Instead of discarding that first draft, you could revise it or rework it.

In card games like rummy, you discard the cards you don’t want or need (called discards) by placing them in the discard pile. In the context of cards, it is often pronounced as “DIS-card” (as opposed to di-SCARD).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of discard?

• discardable (adjective)
• discarder (noun)
• undiscardable (adjective)
• undiscarded (adjective)

What are some synonyms for discard?

• get rid of
• dispose of
• throw out
• ditch
• dump
• reject
• scrap
• abandon

What are some words that often get used in discussing discard?

• trash
• garbage
• card
• game
• KonMari

How is discard used in real life?

Discard is most often used to refer to casting aside or getting rid of something, especially permanently and without remorse.

Anyone else discard all of their notes once done with a class🙋🏽

— Taleah Hawthorne (@taleahtherese) May 4, 2016

marie kondo told me to throw out everything that does not spark joy, so i have decided to discard all of my textbooks as well as my credit card bills. wish me luck

— endhawks lovebot @ ACNH (@redbeantofu) January 9, 2019

god grant me the strength, kindness and patience to call in the people I care for when they mess up, to have their back as they try to learn and grow rather than discard them, and let people have the grace to do the same with me.

— wikipedia brown, socially distant OG (@eveewing) April 27, 2018

 

 

Try using discard!

Which of the following terms is NOT a synonym for discard?

A. retain
B. dump
C. ditch
D. throw out