throwaway

[ throh-uh-wey ]

/ ˈθroʊ əˌweɪ /

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See synonyms for: throwaway / throwaways on Thesaurus.com

adjective

made or intended to be discarded after use or quick examination: a throwaway container;a throwaway brochure.

delivered or expressed casually or extemporaneously: a funny throwaway line that brings applause.

noun

something that is made or intended to be discarded.

a handbill, advertising circular, pamphlet, etc., intended to be discarded after reading.

Also called pushout. Informal: Disparaging and Offensive. a youth who is unwanted or rejected by their family, the school system, or society in general.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of throwaway

First recorded in 1900–05; adjective, noun use of verb phrase throw away

Words nearby throwaway

throw a curve, throw a fit, throw a monkey wrench into, throw a party, throw a punch, throwaway, throwback, throw caution to the winds, throw cold water on, throw down, throw down the gauntlet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use throwaway in a sentence

This could be a throwaway prop or it may be nodding at Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, which gave Disney the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters.
Every Single Detail of the Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer, Explained|Eliana Dockterman|August 24, 2021|Time
While the company has partnered with numerous small business micro-influencers, this isn’t a throwaway campaign — it even features baseball player Alex Rodriguez.
Traffic and rankings don’t mean a thing unless they help you convert; Tuesday’s daily brief|George Nguyen|August 17, 2021|Search Engine Land
A disposable milk bottle that can automatically sense when its contents is spoiling is clearly out of reach, as is a throwaway wound dressing that can monitor moisture levels to ensure proper healing.
Arm’s New Flexible Plastic Chip Could Enable an ‘Internet of Everything’|Edd Gent|July 26, 2021|Singularity Hub
The habit of using disposable items on a regular basis primarily came out of the 1950s when “throwaway living” was advertised as a more convenient alternative than completing household chores like washing dishes.
These businesses are saving thousands by replacing single-use plastic|Clarisa Diaz|July 21, 2021|Quartz

Moviegoers were so familiar with the position of the town that it was a throwaway line in the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story.
How One Small Maryland Town Became the Marriage Capital of the East Coast in the Early 20th Century|Melissa August|February 11, 2021|Time
Life is a series of seemingly throwaway moments strung together in a peculiar tapestry, and Linklater has captured it beautifully.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Getaway Car is lousy with these throwaway lines and asides.
Donald E. Westlake, The Man With The Getaway Face|Malcolm Jones|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even the Vatican weighed in, condemning the case as proof of our “throwaway culture.”
The Wild, Wild West of Thai Surrogacy|Emily Shire|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What a throwaway, half-assed response devoid of any sort of research.
Macklemore, the Grammy Winning Rapper, Is a 9/11 Truther Who Likes to Play Anti-Semitic Dress-Up|Emily Shire, Marlow Stern|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, there are the usual references to color-changing T-shirts and Jurassic Park, but it feels more warranted than throwaway here.
Fall-Winter TV Preview: Snap Judgments of 2013–14’s New Shows|Jace Lacob, Kevin Fallon|July 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The latest message was from a throwaway email address from one of the new Brazilian anonymizers.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
The mainland lay not more than a short stone's throwaway, but between it and the island the water ran as swift as a mill race.
The Gaunt Gray Wolf|Dillon Wallace
But in the straight on the run home when all were in close order the dark horse Throwaway drew level, reached, outstripped her.
Ulysses|James Joyce
And instead of throwaway dishes they used chinaware that could have come right out of a museum.
The House from Nowhere|Arthur G. Stangland
He had a few bob on Throwaway and he's gone to gather in the shekels.
Ulysses|James Joyce

British Dictionary definitions for throwaway

throwaway

/ (ˈθrəʊəˌweɪ) /

adjective (prenominal)

said or done incidentally, esp for rhetorical effect; casuala throwaway remark

anything designed to be discarded after use rather than reused, refilled, etc; disposable
(as modifier)a throwaway carton

noun

mainly US and Canadian a handbill or advertisement distributed in a public place

verb throw away (tr, adverb)

to get rid of; discard

to fail to make good use of; wasteto throw away all one's money on horses

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with throwaway

throw away

Also, throw or toss out. Dispose of, discard, as in This coat is too good to throw away, or Did you throw out the rest of the milk? or She tossed out all his old letters. [First half of 1500s]

Waste, fail to use, as in She's thrown away her inheritance on all kinds of foolish enterprises, or He's thrown away his chances for an engineering job. [Mid-1600s]

Also, throw out. Utter or perform in an offhand, seemingly careless way, as in He threw away the news that their summer cottage had been broken into, or She threw out some suggestions for changing the bylaws. [First half of 1900s]

throwaway

Origin of throwaway

Words nearby throwaway

Words related to throwaway

How to use throwaway in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for throwaway

Other Idioms and Phrases with throwaway