trash

[ trash ]

/ træʃ /

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See synonyms for: trash / trashed / trashing on Thesaurus.com

noun

anything worthless, useless, or discarded; rubbish.

foolish or pointless ideas, talk, or writing; nonsense.

a worthless or disreputable person.

such persons collectively.

literary or artistic material of poor or inferior quality.

broken or torn bits, as twigs, splinters, rags, or the like.

something that is broken or lopped off from anything in preparing it for use.

the refuse of sugarcane after the juice has been expressed.

Computers. an icon of a trash can that is used to delete files dragged onto it.

verb (used with object)

Slang. to destroy, damage, or vandalize, as in anger or protest: The slovenly renters had trashed the house.

to condemn, dismiss, or criticize as worthless: The article trashed several recent best-sellers.

to remove the outer leaves of (a growing sugarcane plant).

to free from superfluous twigs or branches.

OTHER WORDS FOR trash

2 drivel, rot, hogwash, twaddle.

5 rubbish, tripe.

See synonyms for trash on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of trash

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English trasches (plural), apparently cognate with Norwegian trask “rubbish”; akin to Old English trus “brushwood,” Old Norse tros “rubbish”

Words nearby trash

traps, trapshooting, trap shot, trapunto, Trasentine, trash, trash and cash, trash can, trashed, trasher, trash farming

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

How to use trash in a sentence

One man paddles the river in a kayak every day just to collect trash.
51 Years Later, the Cuyahoga River Burns Again|Wes Siler|August 28, 2020|Outside Online
Ideally, you’ll want to train your dog to pee in one or a few spots and keep them away from hosing down anything people might touch or pick up, including trash cans, Mynchenberg says.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
One day, after he realized that Charlie had thrown the chocolate part of the cookies into the trash, his Dad made him eat the cookie remnants out of the garbage.
‘A Star is Bored’ a delicious work of fiction|Kathi Wolfe|August 13, 2020|Washington Blade
The wastewater, trash and sediment that continues to flow into San Diego County are a danger to public health and our economy and it must be addressed.
No One Is Actually in Charge of Solving the Border Sewage Crisis|Dianne Feinstein|August 12, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Single-use plastics contribute to about half of plastic waste, causing wildlife deaths and giant trash gyres in the ocean.
Environment Report: Size Doesn’t Always Matter Under New Parks Plan|MacKenzie Elmer|July 13, 2020|Voice of San Diego
When two NYPD lieutenants intervened, police say Linsker put the trash can down but resisted arrest.
The High-Priced Union Rep Charged With Attacking a Cop|Jacob Siegel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Aside from producing odors and mountains of trash, they increasingly produce power.
Garbage In, Power Out|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The song went into the trash can of rock and roll history, and it took almost 50 years for it to find the right singer.
Greil Marcus Talks About Trying to Unlock Rock and Roll in 10 Songs|Allen Barra|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The problem runs far deeper, to an absurdly narrow legal definition of ‘corruption’ that throws democracy on the trash heap.
Undo Citizens United? We’d Only Scratch the Surface|Jedediah Purdy|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yeonmi gathered clothes from the trash, while her parents collected water from a dripping tap.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian State|Lizzie Crocker|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The boy's head was held high, indicative of his opinion of poor white trash and Crackers in general, and Mandy Ann in particular.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
I dare say it is all pretty green, but that is no reason for us to fill the barrow with trash.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
The librarian told me I'd never find a copy, and this was on top of a pile of trash in a second-hand shop right here in this town.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
From South America to Cuba, there is one vast collection of trash imported to catch the pennies of these long-suffering people.
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 1/2|Ida May Hill Starr
That was always closed except to open just to take out the trash can.
Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for trash (1 of 2)

trash¹

/ (træʃ) /

noun

foolish ideas or talk; nonsense

mainly US and Canadian useless or unwanted matter or objects

a literary or artistic production of poor quality

mainly US and Canadian a poor or worthless person or a group of such people

bits that are broken or lopped off, esp the trimmings from trees or plants

the dry remains of sugar cane after the juice has been extracted

verb

to remove the outer leaves and branches from (growing plants, esp sugar cane)

slang to attack or destroy (someone or something) wilfully or maliciously

Derived forms of trash

trashery, noun

Word Origin for trash

C16: of obscure origin; perhaps related to Norwegian trask

British Dictionary definitions for trash (2 of 2)

trash²

/ (træʃ) archaic /

verb

(tr) to restrain with or as if with a lead

noun

a lead for a dog

Word Origin for trash

C17: perhaps from obsolete French tracier to track, trace 1

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

trash

OTHER WORDS FOR trash

Origin of trash

Words nearby trash

Words related to trash

How to use trash in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for trash (1 of 2)

Derived forms of trash

Word Origin for trash

British Dictionary definitions for trash (2 of 2)

Word Origin for trash