rubbish

noun

rub·​bish ˈrə-bish How to pronounce rubbish (audio)
 dialectal  -bij
Synonyms of rubbishnext
1
: useless waste or rejected matter : trash
2
: something that is worthless or nonsensical
few real masterpieces are forgotten and not much rubbish survives— William Bridges-Adams
rubbishy
ˈrə-bə-shē How to pronounce rubbish (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of rubbish in a Sentence

Please, pick the rubbish up off the ground. I think what he says is absolute rubbish! “I'm sorry, but I had to do it.” “Rubbish!” The food at that restaurant is complete rubbish.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The site was first excavated beginning in 1995, and in 2018, scientists began collecting, analyzing and radiocarbon dating fossils unearthed from El Gigante rubbish piles. — Grrlscientist, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Last year, a dumpster diver in Hudson, New York, stumbled upon an extraordinary find: An 18th-century pen-and-ink sketch by English portraitist George Romney was hidden amid the rubbish. — Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025 Wastewater went untreated, rubbish uncollected, and sewage unprocessed. — Raad Al-Remi, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Feb. 2025 This dumping exacts a devastating environmental toll—leaching toxic contaminants into water, air, and food, and miring whole regions in growing fields of rubbish. — Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rubbish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English robous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rubbish was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing rubbish

Browse Nearby Words

rubbing varnish
rubbish
rubbish bin
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Cite this Entry

“Rubbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubbish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

rubbish

noun
rub·​bish ˈrəb-ish How to pronounce rubbish (audio)
: useless waste or stuff that has been thrown away : trash
rubbishy
-ē How to pronounce rubbish (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on rubbish

Nglish: Translation of rubbish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rubbish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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