throwaway

1 of 3

adjective

throw·​away ˈthrō-ə-ˌwā 

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

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

b

: discard sense 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

Synonyms

Verb

• dump
• discard
• ditch
• unload
• lose

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

The Boston Celtics are entering what could be a throwaway season in the 2025-26 campaign. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025

Follow up on what seemed like a throwaway line from a press conference five months ago. —Chad Graff, New York Times, 29 July 2025

Noun

In a throwaway remark toward the beginning of a story, the narrator gives away the end. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025

Some even go the extra mile with soothing or hydrating ingredients, proving that toners aren’t just a throwaway step anymore—they’re an essential part of your skin-care routine. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 9 Aug. 2025

Verb

As the clock ticked into the 88th minute, the champions were in danger of starting their title defence with a morale-sapping draw after throwing away a two-goal lead. —James Pearce, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025

Half of the restaurant will lecture you about the waste of throwing away the unused packets — never mind that the packets are tiny. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for throwaway

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

throwaway

1 of 3 noun

throw·​away ˈthrō-ə-ˌwā 

: 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