throwaway

play

adjective throw·away \ ˈthrō-ə-ˌwā \

Definition of throwaway

1 :designed to be thrown away :disposable

throwaway containers

2 :written or spoken (as in a play) in a low-key or unemphatic manner

throwaway lines

3 :nonchalant, casual

4 :marked by a tendency to discard things :overly wasteful

a throwaway society

See throwaway defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of throwaway from the Web

Instead, the throwaway cover idea was a reaction to indie-level fame.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Experimental rocker EMA talks VR, the Dark Web, and hiding behind screens," 26 Aug. 2017
As one of my colleagues pointed out, the Hound easily could've made a throwaway comment about the amount of time they were stranded on the lake.

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Game of Thrones Fan Just Explained How Much Time Passed in "Beyond the Wall"," 22 Aug. 2017
A lazy, dated throwaway line that people either won’t get or will get and realize the lameness.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Should you root for Novak Djokovic's comeback story?," 28 June 2017
On this tour, even the throwaway gestures are laced with meaning.

— deborah wilker, Billboard, "Roger Waters Brings His Rock & Roll Protest to Sold-Out Staples Center Show," 22 June 2017
If Bing’s disappearance is part of the larger plot and not just a throwaway line, it could be tied either to the teenage drug overdoses plaguing Twin Peaks or the mysterious events surrounding Richard Horne’s hit-and-run.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Twin Peaks: 11 Easter Eggs, References, and Callbacks You Might Have Missed in Part 7," 19 June 2017
Artistic alchemy The constructions and prints of Guyton, cheerful and poignant at the same time, point to the possibility of transforming the detritus of a throwaway society into the alchemical gold of art.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "MOCA's new "Constant as the Sun" show portrays Great Lakes artists in search of community (photos, video)," 10 June 2017
Artistic alchemy The constructions and prints of Guyton, cheerful and poignant at the same time, point to the possibility of transforming the detritus of a throwaway society into the alchemical gold of art.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "MOCA's new "Constant as the Sun" show portrays Great Lakes artists in search of community (photos, video)," 10 June 2017
Still, Trump's Twitter storm provoked questions on Monday about whether his tweets should be seen as simply throwaway comments on social media, or a serious expression of administration policy.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Trump's populist wing on the rise," 6 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'throwaway.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of throwaway

1928

throwaway

noun

Definition of throwaway

1 :one that is or is designed to be thrown away: such as

a :a free handbill or circular

b :a line of dialogue (as in a play) de-emphasized by casual delivery; especially :a joke or witticism delivered casually

2 :something made or done without care or interest

3 :a child who has been forced to leave home or who has run away from indifferent or hostile parents

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Recent Examples of throwaway from the Web

On the face of it, the day was a complete throwaway.

— whitney joiner, Marie Claire, "72 Women. 1250 Miles. No GPS.," 23 Aug. 2017
Ingram split a sack on one, drew a holding penalty on Ramczyk on another and forced a throwaway by quarterback Chase Daniel.

— josh katzenstein, NOLA.com, "Despite technique errors, Saints' Ryan Ramczyk relished learning opportunity vs. Chargers," 21 Aug. 2017
San Francisco coach Bill Walsh thought the third-down pass from the Dallas 3-yard line in the 1980 NFC Championship Game, was a throwaway, giving the 49ers, trailing by six points in the final minute, one more chance to live to play another day.

— scott patsko, cleveland.com, "The impact of Brock Osweiler as Browns starter: Orange & Brown Talk podcast for Monday, Aug. 7," 7 Aug. 2017
That throwaway comment during an interview with CNN's Talk Asia might as well be Lewis Hamilton's mantra.

— jane sit, CNN, "Lewis Hamilton on preparing for life after Formula One," 29 June 2017
The period is indicated subtly: sideburns and mustaches that don't look glued on; timely pop music; old cars; a throwaway reference to Watergate.

— robert lloyd, latimes.com, "'Prime Suspect' prequel gives us a young Jane Tennison," 24 June 2017
If only the poop jokes were as subtle as the other throwaway gags.

— jon niccum, kansascity.com, "Don’t get your panties in a bunch: ‘Captain Underpants’ is irreverent fun," 31 May 2017
So more babysitting is not a throwaway or temporary fix.

— carolyn hax, Philly.com, "For parents of small kids: This too shall pass - really," 29 May 2017
There is however a throwaway shot of hunting, so expect to make bullet pouches out of six deer skins again.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Far Cry 5's first trailer reveals religious cults and explosions in picturesque Montana," 26 May 2017

First Known Use of throwaway

1903

throw away

verb

Definition of throw away

transitive verb

1 a :to get rid of as worthless or unnecessary

b :discard 2b

2 a :to use in a foolish or wasteful manner :squander

b :to fail to take advantage of :waste

throw away an opportunity

3 :to make (something, such as a line in a play) unemphatic by casual delivery

See throw away defined for kids

Examples of throw away in a Sentence

I should throw away that torn shirt.
if you buy a high-end computer, you'll just be throwing away money on a bunch of features you'll never use

First Known Use of throw away

1530

throw away Synonyms

Synonyms

cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), discard, throw out, toss, unload

Antonyms

conserve

Related Words

abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake; dismiss, kick out; abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe out

Near Antonyms

adopt, embrace, take on; employ, use, utilize; hold, hold back, keep, retain

THROWAWAY Defined for English Language Learners

throwaway

adjective

Definition of throwaway for English Language Learners

: made to be thrown away after use
: made or said with very little thought
: tending to throw things away instead of keeping them and using them again : very wasteful