throwaway
Americanadjective
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made or intended to be discarded after use or quick examination.
a throwaway container;
a throwaway brochure.
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delivered or expressed casually or extemporaneously.
a funny throwaway line that brings applause.
noun
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something that is made or intended to be discarded.
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a handbill, advertising circular, pamphlet, etc., intended to be discarded after reading.
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Also called pushout. Informal: Disparaging and Offensive. a youth who is unwanted or rejected by their family, the school system, or society in general.
adjective
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said or done incidentally, esp for rhetorical effect; casual
a throwaway remark
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anything designed to be discarded after use rather than reused, refilled, etc; disposable
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( as modifier )
a throwaway carton
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noun
verb
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to get rid of; discard
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to fail to make good use of; waste
to throw away all one's money on horses
Etymology
Origin of throwaway
First recorded in 1900–05; adjective, noun use of verb phrase throw away
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.
Soon after landing, he delivered a throwaway line repeating that the US should really take over Greenland, an island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a fellow Nato member.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
“For so long, people thought it was just the most effortless throwaway career,” Berman says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
The Welsh government said laying regulations for Wales's DRS was a major step towards ending throwaway culture.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
And there are no throwaway roles in “The Secret Agent”: “Even the small characters represent ideas about Brazilian life and its contradictions,” Domingues adds.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
He tried ro sound casual, as though this was a throwaway comment of no real importance, but he was not sure he had achieved the right effect; Lupin’s smile was a little too understanding.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
