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.

---

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

---

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

---

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”

Explanation

Trash is rubbish or garbage — it's the stuff that gets thrown away. Your town might organize a clean-up day each year when people pick up trash in parks and neighborhoods. Trash is dirty, worthless, leftover debris. Fittingly, the word is also a terribly derogatory term for useless, low-status people: "I should've known you were nothing but trash." And to trash talk is to brutally criticize or gossip about someone. You can even use trash as a verb, to mean "throw away," as in, "I'm going to trash this trash in that trash can over there."

Example Sentences

Baum has also enrolled in the Sanitation Foundation’s NYC Trash Academy, a course on how trash affects climate, public health and city neighborhoods.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Noem shot knives from her eyes as the representative read out the headlines: “Lewandowski Taking Out Trash at Noem’s D.C. Home.”

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

Trash may be having a moment, but quality will have your portfolio smelling like roses.

From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025

She co-runs the gift shop, which is called Trash and Treasures.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2025

Trash is heaped near the main entrance steps—plastic cups, fast-food wrappers, broken beer bottles—all partially hidden underneath a thin dusting of snow.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

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