trash

American  

[trash] / træʃ /

noun

1. anything worthless, useless, or discarded; rubbish.

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

3. a worthless or disreputable person.

4. such persons collectively.

5. literary or artistic material of poor or inferior quality.

   Synonyms:

   tripe, rubbish, twaddle, hogwash, rot, drivel

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

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

8. the refuse of sugarcane after the juice has been expressed.

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

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verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to destroy, damage, or vandalize, as in anger or protest.

   The slovenly renters had trashed the house.

2. to condemn, dismiss, or criticize as worthless.

   The article trashed several recent best-sellers.

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

4. to free from superfluous twigs or branches.

trash ¹ British  

/ træʃ /

noun

1. foolish ideas or talk; nonsense

2. useless or unwanted matter or objects

3. a literary or artistic production of poor quality

4. a poor or worthless person or a group of such people

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

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

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verb

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

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

trash ² British  

/ træʃ /

verb

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

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noun

1. a lead for a dog

Other Word Forms

• trashery noun

Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

“It’s hell,” said a taxi driver named Pedro as he drove past heaps of garbage rotting in the streets because there is not enough gas for trash trucks.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Here’s a list of the most memorable jumps from trash TV to the smoldering dumpster of 21st century politics.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Then the mounting accumulation of trash along the pretty suburban streets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Mostly, he insisted, the unhoused neighbors were vigilant stewards, and helped with sweeping and trash pickup and the like; “99 percent of the time it was working great,” he said.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Am I surprised that my phone is treated like trash by Dad?

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• debris
• droppings
• junk
• litter
• residue
• rubbish
• rubble
• sediment
• waste