Synonyms

dregs

British

/ drɛɡz /

plural noun

solid particles that tend to settle at the bottom of some liquids, such as wine or coffee
residue or remains
slang a despicable person

"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

Etymology

Origin of dregs

C14 dreg, from Old Norse dregg; compare Icelandic dreggjar dregs, Latin fracēs oil dregs

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.

“Tow” might not be a knockout, but it’s far from the dregs of cinema.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

It is not known whether this was one of the issues Sir Jim Ratcliffe was mulling over when the camera panned to him in the last dregs of United's latest damaging loss under Amorim's charge.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2025

“I’m afraid you’ve got the dregs now, so good luck.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

Models suggest that the last dregs of the magma ocean crystallized into dense minerals including ilmenite, a mineral containing titanium and iron.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2024

Or maybe it was the time of year—the last dregs of winter spoiling the taste of everything.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023