rubbish

noun

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

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 Collins was mortified; the conga player was rubbish. Ryan Craig, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 Seven-year-old Maria and her mother live in their own loving but surreal world built on sorting through bins and collecting shiny rubbish into an overflowing house. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024 At that time in the city, there were only a few options for disposing of a deceased pet’s body: throw it into the River Thames, toss it out with the rubbish or take it to a rendering plant to be turned into glue or fertilizer. Rachel Nuwer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Sep. 2024 In January, the owner of the salon posted that her page had been hacked and asked friends to report it to Facebook, yet eight months later, no action has been taken, while the page has accrued hundreds of thousands of followers with its AI rubbish. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rubbish 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rubbish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near rubbish

Cite this Entry

“Rubbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubbish. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rubbish

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

More from Merriam-Webster on rubbish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!