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

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

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

About two minutes in, a chunk of Ship's skirt — the basal part near its engine bay — broke apart, sending debris floating into the final frontier. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Video and photos from Phoenix show street signs trembling from the wind as the storm swept through the city and its surrounding areas, picking up debris and flinging it around. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025

Wet wipes, however, have recently threatened this recovery, with the plastic-laden debris breaking down into microplastics that clog digestive systems of fish and disrupt feeding patterns, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. —Dakota Bennett, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2025

During that inaugural exercise, two PAC-2 interceptor missiles successfully destroyed a simulated cruise missile target and its largest piece of debris. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

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