offal

noun

ˈȯ-fəl How to pronounce offal (audio)
Definition of offalnext
as in garbage
discarded or useless material a pile of offal from the tannery operating in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of offal This carnivore’s sanctum offers an education in offal, mapping the pig from trompa (snout) to rabo (tail). — Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026 This isn’t about fetishizing offal. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 The German served up wiener schnitzel the following year, while in 1988 Scotland’s Sandy Lyle laid on some haggis – sheep’s offal minced, spiced and served in its stomach, and plated up to the sound of bagpipes. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026 Kennedy recently encouraged people to embrace offal as a more affordable source of protein. — Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for offal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offal
  1. garbage
  2. debris
  3. trash
  4. rubbish
  5. sewage
  6. junk
  7. dust
Noun
  • What makes a successful scooper Professional scoopers typically use basic tools like a rake, a dustpan lined with a garbage bag and a garden sprayer to sanitize tools in between jobs.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Pan Yan The substance is integrated into a transparent, medium-sized insert designed to fit onto a garbage bin lid.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • Avon Street remains closed from Merriman to Niagara Street as crews clear the roadway of debris.
    — Elle Meyers, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • However, throwing it back over the fence could create another dispute, particularly if doing so amounts to dumping debris on your neighbor’s property.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • There was ample physical evidence for the case against her, including DNA found on a latex glove that was in the same trash bag as Loofe’s remains.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For example, placing a cardboard box in the trash may normally be acceptable.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • Twisted Teens are far from rubbish, but that isn't stopping them from playing in the trash for their latest music video.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of rubbish
Noun
  • In October 2025, scientists testing sewage in Hamburg, Germany, found wild polio.
    — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Neeley said the floodwaters were receding but left mud and silt, much of which has been contaminated with sewage because of failures at waste plants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of sewage
Noun
  • As an investment-grade company, Oracle can borrow cheaply and with duration, but that would change with a junk rating, said Jamie Meyers, a senior securities analyst at Laffer Tengler, which owns Oracle stock.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
  • No one has ever been seriously injured by falling space junk, but there are a few examples of property damage.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of junk
Noun
  • If successful, bits of dust, soil and rocks from Phobos will arrive on Earth in 2031.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Neither phone should be used carelessly at the beach, but that higher dust rating offers a little more peace of mind.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dust

Browse Nearby Words

off
offal
off and on
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Offal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offal. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on offal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about offal

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All