throwaway

1 of 3

adjective

throw·​away ˈthrō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce throwaway (audio)
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
4
: marked by a tendency to discard things : overly wasteful
a throwaway society

throwaway

2 of 3

noun

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

throw away

3 of 3

verb

threw away; thrown away; throwing away; throws away

transitive verb

1
a
: to get rid of as worthless or unnecessary
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

Examples of throwaway in a Sentence

Verb 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Reich also makes skillful use of the callback, in which a seemingly throwaway line is revisited and built on, sometimes multiple times. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2023 Even the seemingly throwaway dialogue in a dinner scene reinforces how society perceives women struggling to balance the unfair demands of family and career. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2023 There are no throwaway humans. Meredith Goldstein, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023 In a lesser actress' hands, this might seem like a throwaway role as a character who is always there, but mostly speaks in sporadic moments of truly angelic song. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023 Many of these units were essentially throwaway soldiers; Ukrainian soldiers have called them human wave assaults. Andrew E. Kramer Nicole Tung, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2023 Well, none of the smiles in the film are from throwaway characters. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2022 And then there’s this quick, throwaway comment from Mark Cuban in a recent podcast. John Brandon, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2022 Aemma is a throwaway character who has virtually no dialogue that isn't about her pregnancy. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2022
Noun
What would be a throwaway training montage in other stories, Toriyama would use as an opportunity to build up characters and tension. Gene Park, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Dhar previously directed Uri The Surgical Strike (2019) which was also his first film with Gautam. Article 370 released on a day when most cinema halls celebrated Cinema Lovers’ Day and gave away tickets for a throwaway price of $1.1 each. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But in its original appearance, the game was just used for a throwaway scene in an episode that was mostly about something else. Huntley Woods and Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2023 The 2010 Hot 100 No. 1 remains an extremely contentious song within his discography, with many fans deriding it as a regrettable EDM-era throwaway and other fans telling those fans to hush and just fist-pump along with the hook. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 13 Feb. 2024 Purdy’s lone incompletion was a third-and-long throwaway toward McCaffrey. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024 Allen blamed himself for having Buffalo’s final drive stall at the Chiefs 26 following two incompletions — the last a throwaway after he was flushed out of the pocket. John Wawrow, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024 So often characters have plans and there’s a throwaway line to explain their motivations that was like a hundred pages earlier or a hundred pages later, or doesn’t appear at all. Geek's Guide To The Galaxy, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024 But the cameo that tickles everyone belongs to the Pee-wee Herman creator, who pays off a throwaway joke from early in the film when Awkwafina and on-screen sister Sandra Oh bump into him on the lot where the quiz show tapes. Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
Verb
Shortly after promotional posters would be plastered on buildings, they would be torn down and thrown away by property owners or local officials because they were considered litter. Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Ignore the slogans, throw away the shiny mailers and check out the facts if there is a vote. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Dean showered and threw away her bloodied clothes and shoes. Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024 The year its bag ban was passed, Californians threw away 157,385 tons of plastic bags. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2024 And not use plastic for things that are single-use and then just throw away. Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 This thrown away statement is actually significant to AV fans for two reasons. John Archer, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The warrant also said a neighbor saw Vargas throw away Arenas’ belongings and had the carpeting replaced in the home. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024 The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, the USDA says. USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throwaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of throwaway was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near throwaway

throw a fit

throwaway

throw away

Cite this Entry

“Throwaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throwaway. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

throwaway

1 of 3 noun
throw·​away ˈthrō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce throwaway (audio)
: something that is or is designed to be thrown away especially after one use

throwaway

2 of 3 adjective
throw·​away
ˌthrō-ə-ˌwā
: designed to be thrown away : disposable
throwaway cans and bottles

throw away

3 of 3 verb
ˌthrō-ə-ˈwā
1
: to get rid of : discard
threw the old ones away
2
: squander, waste
careful not to throw money away
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