debris

noun

de·​bris də-ˈbrē 

dā-ˈbrē, 

ˈdā-ˌbrē

British usually ˈde-(ˌ)brē

plural debris də-ˈbrēz 

dā-ˈbrēz, 

ˈdā-ˌbrēz

British usually ˈde-(ˌ)brēz

1

: the remains of something broken down or destroyed

digging through the storm's debris in search of survivors

sifted through the debris of her broken marriage

2

geology : an accumulation of fragments of rock

3

: something discarded : rubbish

picking up debris after the parade

Synonyms of debris

• garbage
• trash
• dust
• rubbish
• junk
• rubble
• litter
• sewage
• truck

Examples of debris in a Sentence

After the earthquake, rescuers began digging through the debris in search of survivors.

Everything was covered by dust and debris.

Recent Examples on the Web

Multiple aircraft, cutters and small boats searched 1,047 square miles over 24 hours, finding debris near the location where the EPIRB was activated, along with one body and an unoccupied life raft that had been deployed. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026

Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Feb. 2026

Which appears to be the case when Hana wakes up after a heavy night of clubbing with the messy debris of a large takeout assortment on her bedroom floor and yet somehow feels different. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026

Crews later located a debris field near the area where the alert was sent, and found a body in the water and an empty life raft, according to the Coast Guard. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French débris, from Middle French, from debriser to break to pieces, from Old French debrisier, from de- + brisier to break, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish brisid he breaks; perhaps akin to Latin fricare to rub — more at friction

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for debris

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

debris

noun

de·​bris də-ˈbrē 

dā-;

ˈdā-ˌbrē

plural debris -ˈbrēz 

-ˌbrēz

1

: the remains of something broken down or destroyed : ruins

2

: an accumulation of fragments of rock

3

: something discarded : rubbish

Medical Definition

debris

noun

de·​bris

də-ˈbrē, dā-ˈ, ˈdā-ˌ, British usually ˈdeb-(ˌ)rē

plural debris

: organic waste from dead or damaged tissue

a wound obscured by blood and debris

—Emergency Medicine