rubbish

noun

ˈrə-bish How to pronounce rubbish (audio)
Definition of rubbishnext
1
as in garbage
discarded or useless material it's illegal to throw rubbish out of your car on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in junk
that which is of low quality or worth regarded most romance novels as the lowest form of literary rubbish

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense you're obviously no economist because what you're saying is absolute rubbish

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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 rubbish Historically, this ash is dumped in piles, mixed in cement, or simply thrown away as industrial rubbish. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 May 2026 Only construction waste will be accepted at the landfill such as, brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026 Local villages are actively monitoring the oceans and reefs in their environment, and backlash to a recent plan from a billionaire Australian to build a giant plant to incinerate rubbish in Fiji was loud and well organized, says Singh. — Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 Trash pickup Chris Barnett, Orion Township supervisor, said residents of his community will be allowed to place more bagged trash outside at their next Waste Management pickup day to help handle overflow rubbish from paper plates, etc. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for rubbish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbish
  1. garbage
  2. junk
  3. nonsense
  4. debris
  5. cheese
  6. nuts
  7. trash
  8. blah
Noun
  • Decomposing food can release hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas synonymous with landfills and garbage.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Epidemics, worsened by the unsanitary conditions caused by the mountains of garbage the government has stopped collecting, combine with the shortage of medicines and the dire state of medical facilities.
    — Sarah Moreno July 1, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • President Biden even devoted a sizable chunk of his 2024 State of the Union Address to his administration's campaign against junk fees.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 7 July 2026
  • With less drag, space junk can remain in orbit longer, increasing the risk of collisions.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Definition of junk
Noun
  • Until recently, that would have sounded like absolute nonsense.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • There weren’t meetings with executives about tone and mood and all this nonsense.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • Rodríguez denied those claims, saying some remote areas were difficult to reach because roads were blocked by landslides and debris, forcing authorities to rely on motorcycles, drones and satellite imagery.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Seconds later, a powerful explosion blasted through the doorway, shattering windows and sending vertical blinds and debris flying as firefighters quickly retreated from the building.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • This is just one of several recalls to hit ALDI products in recent months, including more than 500,000 boxes of mac and cheese.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of cheese
Noun
  • Granola One of the original ‘health foods,’ granola contains many nutritious ingredients, such as oats, nuts, and seeds.
    — Sarah Anzlovar, Verywell Health, 4 July 2026
  • California's Central Valley, stretching some 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers), is an agricultural powerhouse that's estimated to produce 40% of the nation's fruits, nuts and other table foods, including most of its nectarines.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • Authorities confirmed the match after obtaining his DNA from trash.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Sugary drinks, greasy grill residue, dropped crumbs and overflowing trash are all fair game.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • Green Bay Packers For a team coming off back-to-back wild-card-round exits and that hasn’t reached the conference championship game since the 2020 season, the Packers had a rather blah offseason.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • Best Fashion Deals If your summer wardrobe is feeling a little blah, Amazon’s Outlet fashion deals are the perfect place for a refresh.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2026
Definition of blah

Browse Nearby Words

rubbing the wrong way
rubbish
rubbishy
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Cite this Entry

“Rubbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rubbish

Nglish: Translation of rubbish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rubbish

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