trash

1 of 2

noun

1
: something worth little or nothing: such as
a
: things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown away : 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)
(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

trash

2 of 2

verb

trashed; trashing; trashes

transitive verb

1
: throw away sense 1
standards of reality and truth were trashedEdwin Diamond
2
3
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

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Many have risen to defend Hinchcliffe’s time at the podium as just comedy, brushing off if not entirely invalidating the visceral reactions to calling Puerto Rico an island of trash, among many other crude remarks that many find indefensible. Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 Open a Window Keep your home ventilated as your cook or to remove any odors from the trash and other areas by opening a window or nearby door. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
Matthew McConaughey has words for University of Texas football fans who trashed the field during a game over the weekend. Danielle Jennings, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 Oak trees broke and splintered, blocking roads and trashing homes. Kristen Arnett, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trash 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of trash was circa 1529

Dictionary Entries Near trash

Cite this Entry

“Trash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trash. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

trash

noun
ˈtrash
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
ˈtrash-ē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on trash

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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