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 of throwaway

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

Candiace votes for Rob — a throwaway vote to the rest of the table, but one that sends a message to him. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026

Earlier this month, Pasquantino wrote about the Royals moving in the fences at Kauffman Stadium in an X post and included a seemingly throwaway line about salary arbitration hearings. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026

Noun

Yet most people treat them like throwaway meetings. —Melody Wilding, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026

Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2026

Verb

Shortly after, just a stone’s throw away, Paolina Russo — which made its debut in SS24 after winning the Zalando Visionary Award — returned to the schedule with a show in the French embassy, in honor of co-founder Lucile Guilmard’s French heritage (Russo is Canadian). —Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2026

Now that Tesla seems largely done with making new car models, the company is throwing away a lot in order to go all in on autonomy. —Patrick George, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026

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