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 of rubbish

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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.
So where does the rubbish come from? — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026 With no petrol to run dustbin trucks, rubbish is being burnt in the streets. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 31 May 2026 Stony rubbish, dead trees, the odd corpse in the garden—nothing that couldn’t be absorbed back into the earth. — Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 From the Japanese point of view, leaving rubbish piled up in a stadium would be a bother to others. — Stephen Wade, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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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

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