trash

play

noun \ ˈtrash \

Definition of trash

1 :something worth little or nothing: such as

a :junk, rubbish

b (1) :inferior or worthless writing or artistic matter (such as a television show); especially :such matter intended purely for sensational entertainment

(2) :trash talk

(3) :empty talk :nonsense

2 :a worthless person; also :such persons as a group :riffraff

3 :something in a crumbled or broken condition or mass; especially :debris from pruning or processing plant material

See trash defined for English-language learners

See trash defined for kids

Examples of trash in a Sentence

Take out the trash, please.
I put the dirty diaper in the trash.
I can't believe you're reading that trash.
She thinks that they're all trash.

Recent Examples of trash from the Web

The organization is most in need of paper towels, towels, blankets, bedding for dogs and trash bags.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "This Fort Worth foster pet outfit led the rescue effort for 108 animals near Baytown," 30 Aug. 2017
In 2016, there were 75 recorded assaults on bus operators, though that was down from 87 the year before. — Martine Powers One person is dead after a trash truck crashed into an SUV in Accokeek.

— Washington Post, "Man who fired gun at Columbia Heights Metro station is sought by D.C. police," 29 Aug. 2017
Because of the amount of trash and rotting yard waste in the front yard, there was a cloud of mosquitoes that hovered over the property.

— christopher elliott, The Seattle Times, "Hello, relaxation? Not with this Booking.com reservation," 28 Aug. 2017
If the sand is not already in a plastic bag, protect it by wrapping it in a heavy-duty trash bag with its openings taped shut.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Homeowner's Last-Minute Hurricane Prep Checklist," 25 Aug. 2017
McGregor is the brawling, trash-talking Irishman and world champion mixed martial arts fighter.

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "McGregor vs. Mayweather fight leads back to a guilty habit," 24 Aug. 2017
To that end, Sarah Huckabee Sanders can report to the nearest trash chute alongside Anthony Scaramucci, her former boss Reince Preibus, and her soon-to-be-old boss Sean Spicer.

— michael arceneaux, Essence.com, "Don't Be Fooled: Donald Trump Meant What He Said When He Encouraged Police Brutality," 4 Aug. 2017
Actors and directors were mere cogs in the wheel, forced to churn out formulaic trash against their will for decades.

— elizabeth winder, Marie Claire, "The Secret Career Genius of Marilyn Monroe," 26 July 2017
The youngsters also learned how to turn their trash into useful items through upcycling projects.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Pomerado News, "Girl Scout achieves childhood dream by earning Gold Award," 21 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of trash

Middle English trasch fallen leaves and twigs, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect trask rubbish; Old Norse tros fallen leaves and twigs, Old English trus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1518

See Words from the same year

trash Synonyms

Synonyms

chaff, deadwood, debris, dreck (also drek), dross, dust, effluvium (also effluvia), junk, litter, offal, offscouring, raffle, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, garbage, truck, waste

Antonyms

A-list, aristocracy, elite, gentry, quality, society, upper class, upper crust

Related Words

crud, sewage, slop, swill, wash; detritus, remains, rubble, ruins; dump, scrap heap; lumber, odds and ends, trumpery; flotsam, jetsam, wreckage; castoff, cull, discard, hand-me-down, reject, throwaway; nothing, straw, two bits

Near Antonyms

catch, gem, goody (or goodie), jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable; booty, find, salvage

trash

verb

Definition of trash

transitive verb

1 :throw away 1

standards of reality and truth were trashed
—Edwin Diamond

2 :vandalize, destroy

3 :attack, assault

4 :spoil, ruin

trashing the environment

5 :to subject to criticism or invective; especially :to disparage strongly

a film trashed by the critics

intransitive verb

:to trash something or someone

See trash defined for English-language learners

Examples of trash in a Sentence

a computer program that trashes useless files
The vacuum cleaner couldn't be fixed, so I trashed it.
The apartment had been trashed.
He says that the government's policies are trashing the environment.

Recent Examples of trash from the Web

Some of them simply should be trashed; others transmitted to museums, battlefields, and cemeteries.

— rich lowry, National Review, "Mothball the Confederate Monuments," 15 Aug. 2017
Beane can then focus on locking up the next generation of A’s talent as long as possible so that the team can field a winner and its fans won’t have to trash their shirseys after two or three years.

— SI.com, "Oakland A’s," 25 July 2017
But many of her posts are dedicated to publicly trashing Browder.

— julia ioffe, The Atlantic, "The Russian Attorney at the Center of the Trump Jr. Scandal," 15 July 2017
And that came only because Republicans trashed the judicial filibuster for the Supreme Court and, prior to that, Senate tradition by denying Merrick Garland a hearing.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Republicans Let Trump Take Over Their Party," 7 July 2017
No one who’s critiquing the movie seems to be out to trash it.

— geek's guide to the galaxy, WIRED, "A Psychologist Created Wonder Woman to Institute Female Rule," 17 June 2017
The scrappy Scalise, an Old Jefferson resident, regularly plays second base or shortstop for the GOP, and he's been known to trash talk Rep. Cedric Richmond of New Orleans, a star pitcher for the Democrats.

— drew broach, NOLA.com, "Steve Scalise has been a Republican mainstay on the baseball diamond," 14 June 2017
Protesters set fire to the Agriculture Ministry, trashed several government buildings and clashed repeatedly with police, prompting the government to deploy the armed forces.

— samy adghirni, Bloomberg.com, "Brazil’s Temer Faces Brewing Mutiny by Allies Amid Corruption Scandal," 24 May 2017
County school superintendents from Miami to Pensacola want Scott to trash the K-12 education chunk of the budget that increases spending by just $24 per pupil next year.

— steve bousquet, miamiherald, "If Gov. Rick Scott vetoes the entire K-12 budget, here’s what happens," 22 May 2017