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

Teachers, medical staff and rubbish collectors will all be joining the rolling industrial action which is set to end in a general strike on Wednesday.

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Residents living near a house which has had rubbish "piled high on the driveway" for months have called on the council to take action.

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Affectionately referred to as trash pandas, the masked mammals known for rummaging rubbish bins for easy food, are evolving based on their proximity to humans, even starting to look cuter, a new study says.

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"I thought we were pretty rubbish to be honest, but who cares?" he said.

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“Bah! No. It is some nonsense belonging to the children. A book of poetry, translated from the German. Pure rubbish, in my opinion.”

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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.