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

Survelliance video from the apartment showed the suspect and several others appearing to clear out glass and debris from the bed of the pickup truck, and placing tape over apparent bullet holes in the truck's tailgate, charges allege. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Key Background The rocket is believed to have crashed into the moon at over 5,000 mph, marking one of many rocket and debris collisions on the moon since the 1960s. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Staff had to cover the remaining books under plastic, Rozelle said, as a water mitigation company works to clear debris, get rid of stagnant water and remove the carpet. — John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026

Run it over hard floors and carpets to suck up debris, then convert it into a handheld vacuum to tackle above-floor messes. — Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 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