1
: something worth little or nothing: such as
b(1)
: inferior or worthless writing or artistic matter (such as a television show)
especially
: such matter intended purely for sensational entertainment
(2)
(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
trashed; trashing; trashes
1
: throw away sense 1
standards of reality and truth were trashed—
Edwin Diamond
Edwin Diamond5
: to subject to criticism or invective
especially
: to disparage strongly
a film trashed by the critics
: to trash something or someone
Synonyms
Examples of trash in a Sentence
Noun
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.
Verb
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.
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Recent Examples on the WebJonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 15 Sep. 2023
Emergency room personnel found a black plastic trash bag in the rear hatch of the vehicle, Montgomery said, and inside the bag was an 11-month-old child's body.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2023
In one shot, Moe-Moe looks out of his carrier, surrounded by at least five piles of bags of trash, an old scooter, and a plastic bin with a chew toy on top.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023
As a million different versions of herself, Rodrigo sweetly bakes cupcakes as plates and knives are flung across the apartment, keys his car in her stride, and trashes car after car with only her mind.
—Vulture, 12 Sep. 2023
Just Askin': Who's responsible for cleaning up trash on the interstates?
🏙️ Don't Miss: Cincinnati is home to a lot of firsts.
—The Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2023
Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc and owner Merritt Paulson talked playful trash to Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy.
—oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
Every year, large piles of trash are left in Reno and other spots outside the desert, said Allen, the Pershing County sheriff.
—Dino Grandoni and Kim Bellware, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2023
City officials say the clearings are necessary to address health and safety issues that affect nearby businesses and residents, including trash and drug needles left on public sidewalks.
—The Courier-Journal, 6 Sep. 2023
Taylor Lorenz, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2023
Polluters have trashed the world’s atmosphere with carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023
But Tijuana’s faulty system is constantly overwhelmed as its population rises, sending millions of gallons of raw sewage and trash through the river valley.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
People create a fleeting, self-sustaining community that (theoretically) leaves no trace or trash upon its completion.
—Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
Also trashed were the building’s HVAC and sprinkler systems.
—Lisa Rathke, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023
The short answer is easy: Because an overgrown super-rich man-child with no impulse control decided to further trash his latest toy.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 31 July 2023
Besides trashing Biden's record on race, the liberal philosopher echoed complaints Republicans have about the way the president's administration has operated.
—Christopher Hutton, Washington Examiner, 15 July 2023
Dorsey Roland thinks even an occasional police presence in the area might dissuade would-be dumpers from trashing the area so thoroughly.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 8 July 2023
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Noun
Five people filled six trash bags on a beach that day.
—Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 15 Sep. 2023
Emergency room personnel found a black plastic trash bag in the rear hatch of the vehicle, Montgomery said, and inside the bag was an 11-month-old child's body.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2023
In one shot, Moe-Moe looks out of his carrier, surrounded by at least five piles of bags of trash, an old scooter, and a plastic bin with a chew toy on top.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023
As a million different versions of herself, Rodrigo sweetly bakes cupcakes as plates and knives are flung across the apartment, keys his car in her stride, and trashes car after car with only her mind.
—Vulture, 12 Sep. 2023
Just Askin': Who's responsible for cleaning up trash on the interstates?
🏙️ Don't Miss: Cincinnati is home to a lot of firsts.
—The Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2023
Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc and owner Merritt Paulson talked playful trash to Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy.
—oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
Every year, large piles of trash are left in Reno and other spots outside the desert, said Allen, the Pershing County sheriff.
—Dino Grandoni and Kim Bellware, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2023
City officials say the clearings are necessary to address health and safety issues that affect nearby businesses and residents, including trash and drug needles left on public sidewalks.
—The Courier-Journal, 6 Sep. 2023
Verb
While her dedicated young female audience loved the campaign, Gawker trashed her in deeply misogynistic articles.
—Taylor Lorenz, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2023
Polluters have trashed the world’s atmosphere with carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023
But Tijuana’s faulty system is constantly overwhelmed as its population rises, sending millions of gallons of raw sewage and trash through the river valley.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
People create a fleeting, self-sustaining community that (theoretically) leaves no trace or trash upon its completion.
—Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
Also trashed were the building’s HVAC and sprinkler systems.
—Lisa Rathke, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023
The short answer is easy: Because an overgrown super-rich man-child with no impulse control decided to further trash his latest toy.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 31 July 2023
Besides trashing Biden's record on race, the liberal philosopher echoed complaints Republicans have about the way the president's administration has operated.
—Christopher Hutton, Washington Examiner, 15 July 2023
Dorsey Roland thinks even an occasional police presence in the area might dissuade would-be dumpers from trashing the area so thoroughly.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 8 July 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
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
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1902, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing trash
Articles Related to trash
Dictionary Entries Near trash
Cite this Entry
“Trash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trash. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
trash
nounˈtrash
1
: something of little or no value: as
b
: silly or worthless talk or works (as books)
2
: a low or worthless person
also
: such persons as a group : rabble sense 2
trashy
adjective
ˈtrash-ē
More from Merriam-Webster on trash
Nglish: Translation of trash for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of trash for Arabic Speakers
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